Northern Lights Could Return to New York State In Best Display Since May

As the Sun reaches its expected peak in activity between late 2024 to 2026, our nearest star remains very active for producing geomagnetic storms, reports Forbes.

In May 2024, the strongest geomagnetic storm in twenty years brought vibrant Northern Lights to the skies above New York state, all the way down to Florida and beyond.

The Auroras turned the night skies into a combination of glowing green, red, and pink from May 10 to May 12, as part of a rare G5 geomagnetic storm, according to Space.

See Also: Rare Nova Explosion Will Be Visible in Skies Above New York State

Since then, there have been other nights where the ghostly glowing lights were visible in New York, though these were slightly weaker displays.

However, Forbes reports that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a moderate G2 geomagnetic storm watch that could bring the Northern Lights back to northern states by Thursday and Friday night.

Northern Lights Could Return to New York State In Best Display Since May 

The Space Weather Prediction Center says that August saw the highest daily amount of sunspots since 2003. The latest solar storm could bring the Aurora Borealis to states as south as New York both Thursday and Friday night, with the display being the most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Hudson Valley Weather says that skies should remain mostly clear on Thursday and Friday nights.

What Are the Northern Lights? 

The Sun's solar winds send particles through space and towards the Earth at millions of miles per hour. The Earth's magnetic field deflects the solar wind, stretching the field until it sort of snaps these charged particles back down toward the planet.

See Also: UFO Filmed Flying By Passenger Plane Leaving Airport in New York?

Once these particles collide with the gases in our atmosphere, they begin to glow, according to the Canadian Space Agency.