How to see the northern lights in Connecticut this weekend – NBC Connecticut

There is a possibility that you may be able to see Northern lights, or aurora borealishere in Connecticut this weekend.

A large geomagnetic storm is expected to impact Earth and line of sight to New England is expected to decrease.

Skies are expected to be clear here, which means we could see the magical northern lights on Saturday night.

Your best chance of seeing it is to find a dark place, away from light pollution, and look north. The best viewing locations here are probably in eastern or northwestern Connecticut.

About the Northern Lights

Earlier this week, the Sun released a large amount of energy, known as a corona mass emission, and when the energy of the charged particles interacts with the Earth’s atmosphere and comes into contact with oxygen and nitrogen, it creates the colors of the northern lights.

How to see the Northern Lights

These tips are from the Space Weather Prediction Center.

• timing: The best aurora borealis usually occurs within an hour or two of midnight (between 10pm and 2am). These hours of active twilight expand toward evening and morning as the level of geomagnetic activity increases. There may be twilight in the evening and morning but it is usually not active and therefore not visually attractive.
• The best seasons for viewing the aurora borealis are during the spring and autumn equinoxes. Because of the subtleties in the way the solar wind interacts with the Earth’s magnetosphere, there is a tendency toward larger magnetic storms, and therefore better aurora, occurring near the equinoxes. However, the number of hours of darkness increases rapidly near the autumnal equinox, so this warning should be taken into account for those traveling to see the Northern Lights.

Pictures of the Northern Lights

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Learn more here.