New York State Could See the Northern Lights This Week

A strong geomagnetic storm could bring the Aurora Borealis to the skies above New York State. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said that they picked up an eruption of solar material from the Sun Saturday.

Once this coronal mass ejection reaches Earth in about 15 to 18 hours, it could light the night skies with the ghostly green glow of the Aurora as far south as New York.

However, not every Aurora forecast pans out. Cloud cover and timing are key factors, as last November's Northern Lights didn't reach this latitude until after sunrise when it was too bright.

While not an everyday occurrence, the Northern Lights have been witnessed as far south as the Hudson Valley and the Catskills before.

What Are the Northern Lights?

The Aurora (Northern Lights) are caused by giant solar winds that carry ionized particles that end up slamming into the Earth's atmosphere near the poles. That is basically what causes the greenish ghostly lights in the sky, though they're not often seen in latitudes this far south.

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Aurora-Service describes the phenomenon as the glowing lights in the sky, which are usually confined to the higher latitudes, caused by electrically charged particles from the Sun crashing into Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Aurora To Be Seen Over New York State?

WIVB says that the Aurora Borealis may be seen as far south as New York State on Monday and Tuesday. USA Today says that the lights may be visible from 7 PM. to 7 AM. Eastern Time. Another factor is the strength of the solar storm, which WIVB says often determines how far south the northern lights will be visible.

The forecast from The Weather Channel? Unfortunately, forecasters are calling for cloud cover for Monday night into early Tuesday, with mixed perception possible.

Northern Lights Captured Lighting Up Hudson Valley Skies

The rumors were true and the Northern Lights showed up across the Hudson Valley. Thankfully, we're home to some skilled photographers who were able to capture the stunning event.

Sometimes, these "space weather" predictions can lead to quite a showing in the night skies above us. And sometimes not.