The best viewing for the aurora borealis is estimated at between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. EST
Fireworks may not be the only thing dancing in the New Year’s Eve sky tonight.
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After issuing a strong geomagnetic storm watch for Monday night into early Tuesday morning, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center said it was also watching for a minor — possibly moderate — event beginning this evening that could set the stage for a year-ending northern lights show for many Canadians.
The latest space weather events come as the sun expelled a pair of coronal mass ejections (CME) directed at Earth over the weekend — burps of solar material and magnetic fields — with the first, a G3 event on NOAA’s scale, arriving early this morning. The second is on a fast approach and gauged as a G1 with potential for upgrade to G2.
The best viewing for the aurora borealis is estimated at between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. EST.
“We will not know the true potential of geomagnetic disturbance levels of response until the CME(s) arrive one million miles from Earth (when they will be about 30-60 minutes from reaching our planet) and their structure and intensity can be measured by our solar wind observatories,” NOAA wrote in its Monday evening media statement.
When the CMEs do arrive, radiated particles expelled from the sun are pulled into the upper atmosphere where, upon interacting with nitrogen and oxygen atoms, they create colourful and cascading emanations.
Unlike the “severe” storms that led to awe-inspiring and rare aurora sightings throughout North America in October, the current event means people living in or near large cities likely won’t enjoy another viewing.
The most recent NOAA forecast map shows a view line encompassing almost all of Canada.
“Given the right vantage point, say for example on top of a hill in the northern hemisphere with an unobstructed view toward the north, a person can see aurora even when it is 1,000 (kilometres) further north,” NOAA counsels.
Regardless of their location or vantage point, hopeful skygazers will need the weather to cooperate.
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