MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The potential to see the Northern Lights in a good portion of the United States is growing for Thursday night.
Let's talk about what we are expecting and how you can view this event from your own house.
Over the past week, there has been multiple solar events including flares and coronal mass ejections. These have been pointed toward the Earth and have created some minor events here including some northern lights in near the Great Lakes and Canadian border. NOAA expects the latest event to be a bit more robust.
The current forecast is calling for a G4 storm to reach Earth on Thursday. This would place it close to the event in May that saw the Northern Lights visible in the Deep South.
This Coronal Mass Ejection is expected to reach Earth on Thursday and as of right now it could put on a show for those over a good portion of the United States. The Kp index measures these events and when it reaches higher values like the 8 predicted by NOAA right now, there is a pretty good chance of seeing the Northern Lights even in places like Memphis.
Looking at those numbers, as of Thursday morning, the Aurora could be visible above as far south as Tennessee, North Carolina, and Arkansas. Areas south could see the Northern Lights closer to the horizon.
The event looks to begin in the afternoon but we will need to wait about an hour after sunset for the sky to get dark enough. That puts the timing closer to 7:30 PM through about 1 AM local time for the most likely window.
When it comes to viewing any night time events there are a few things you should know. Getting away from the city is the best thing to do. Light Pollution can get in the way and wash out the sky. Once outside, let your eyes adjust to the dark for 15 minutes, and then take some time to look at the sky. These things are always instant so you need to be patient and wait.
Finally, looking at our viewing conditions weather will not be a problem tonight. Clear skies look to dominate the region so there are no worries there. The Quarter Moon will be up providing some light pollution before midnight but over, it shouldn't be too much of an issue.
