Northern Lights Possible This Weekend Over CT
CONNECTICUT — There’s a good chance Connecticut residents could see the dazzling aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, this weekend if the weather cooperates, according to space weather forecasters. Chances are strong for auroras Friday through Sunday night in some parts of the country.Cross your fingers. The National Weather Service is calling for predominantly cloudy weather at night across most of the state, for just about the whole weekend. Sunday night looks like the best opportunity to catch some colors, with only partly cloudy skies in the forecast over Hartford. "(Friday) Tonight could bring the best chance at seeing the Northern Lights locally in almost 20 years. The best chance will be after 11 o’clock tonight, as that is when clouds break apart. Try to get away from light pollution and look north... long exposure photography could bring the best views," said WFSB 3 TV Meteorologist Mike Slifer. (Read more about the weekend forecast here).The strongest likelihood for auroras is in the northern tier of U.S. states, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a rare level G-4 geomagnetic solar storm watch they could be seen this weekend as far south as Alabama.The Kp index, the measure of the strength of a burst of solar energy, is predicted to be at 8 overnight Friday. Auroras become likely with a Kp index of 5.“Watches at this level are very rare,” NOAA said. “This is an unusual event.”The last time NOAA issued a watch for a “severe” geomagnetic storm was in January 2005.A severe geomagnetic storm can also trigger GPS problems, interfere with satellite communications and cause high-frequency blackouts.Related: Solar Storms This Year Could Knock Out Internet For MonthsThe watch comes after two massive sunspots merged, spitting at least two X-class (the largest class) and M-class (the second-largest class) solar flares that are sending a mass of supercharged plasma hurtling toward Earth in a coronal mass ejection, or CME. Another sunspot released strong CMEs earlier this week.NOAA expects the bulk of the CMEs will collide with Earth from midday Friday through Sunday. The sunspot clusters are “magnetically complex and much larger than Earth,” the Space Weather Prediction Center said, noting continued growth in both the area of the sun experiencing flares and an increase in complexity have created “a higher threat of increased solar flare risk.”The article Northern Lights Possible This Weekend Over CT appeared first on Across Connecticut, CT Patch.
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