Rare Northern Lights phenomenon likely to visible in US skies today. Here is how you can watch
Forbes shared this exciting news.
This incredible phenomenon is created by an enormous storm in space called a geomagnetic storm, which is triggered by a massive burst of energy known as a coronal mass ejection (CME). This explosion occurred on the sun's surface on Saturday, September 16, and it is now traveling straight for Earth.
The CME is projected to impact Earth on Tuesday, September 19, but we don't know when. The storm is expected to be at its fiercest between 06:00 and 09:00 UTC on September 19, according to specialists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.
According to SpaceWeather.com, NASA analysts believe it will arrive later on September 19, maybe during the day in North America.
When there's a storm like this, especially a G2-class storm like this one, we typically see some magnificent northern lights. According to SpaceWeather.com, people observed northern lights in multiple U.S. states, including as far down as Colorado and Missouri, just a few days ago, on September 12, during a comparable G2 storm.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a large burst of material from the sun that flies across space at speeds of up to 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) per second.
When all of this debris comes toward Earth, it takes a few days to arrive, and when it does, we usually get to view the spectacular northern lights.
Experts urge everyone to be aware of this special occasion. Dr. Ryan French, a scientist at the National Solar Observatory (NSO) in Boulder, Colorado, and author of «The Sun: Beginner's Guide To Our Local Star,» tweeted his hopes for a fantastic light show.
