Last night New Englanders were gifted two heavenly spectacles— a major Patriots win, followed by inches of snow. Tonight, a different kind could be in store, as forecasts predict the Northern Lights may be visible across the region.
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine are among the 24 states where nature’s light show could be on display, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
Tonight’s prediction comes as the space weather forecasting agency has identified a large coronal mass ejection, or eruption of plasma and energy charged solar material, that is due to make contact with Earth’s magnetic field between late tonight or early tomorrow. The force of the impact may trigger what forecasters are expecting to be a strong to severe geomagnetic storm, which if powerful enough, can cause auroras to be visible much further south than usual.
The celestial phenomenon, known as aurora borealis, is typically scarcely visible over New England or anywhere south of Alaska and northern Canada.
According to NOAA, the best viewing times for the Northern Lights are between 10 p.m. Monday and 2 a.m. Tuesday, when geomagnetic activity increases. Other forecasts project peak activity to occur between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Currently, the edge of the projected view line for tonight’s aurora phenomenon cuts just across Pennsylvania and Southern New England, including Massachusetts and slices of Connecticut and Rhode Island.
States further north, like Maine will have the greatest chance of solid visibility. The aurora borealis is only viewable after nightfall and areas with less light pollution are also favored to glimpse the phenomenon, which can be found through dark sky databases. However, a new moon last night bodes well for the chances of a visibly spectacular event amid darkened skies tonight.
Last November, amid a geomagnetic storm, the Northern Lights were visible even in urban parks like Downtown Boston’s Public Garden.
If the sky does explode with dazzling color tonight, you can use your phone camera to get an enhanced view. Mobile devices have become ideal ways of capturing the Northern Lights thanks to their enhanced low-light capabilities that surpass even the human eye. Experts recommend turning off flash, enabling Night or Pro modes and stabilizing with a tripod for best results.
To monitor the likelihood of seeing the lights, you can use apps like My Aurora Forecast that provide location specific forecast predictions factoring in cloud coverage. Alternatively, NOAA’s 30-minute forecast and SpaceWeatherLive.com help track the view line on maps.
Even if dawn comes with no major visibility in the area, there may be reason to believe more chances will be coming this year. NASA scientists predict solar activity and resulting extreme space weather may remain on the rise, despite the sun having been projected to hit its solar maximum last year, or peak of an 11-year cycle leading to the most frequent and intense Northern Lights activity.
Bryan Hecht can be reached at bryan.hecht@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @bhechtjournalism.
