Vermont
Northern lights could be visible in Vermont tonight. See aurora borealis forecast
Watch: Stunning aurora erupts above observers
Beautiful northern lights burst with colors above stargazers in Alaska.
The northern lights could be visible across Vermont tonight, according to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
The phenomenon, which is also known as aurora borealis, are a natural display of light in the northern hemisphere that can appear as colorful hues in the night sky, according to Michigan Technological University.
Tonight’s forecast map for the aurora shows the view line reaching as far south as Vermont and New Hampshire.
Wednesday night’s forecast also shows potential visibility in northern Vermont, though it could change during the day tomorrow.
Where will the northern lights be visible tonight?
According to NOAA’s latest forecast, the northern lights could be seen in almost all of Vermont on Tuesday night.
As for how strong the display will be, that’s yet to be seen, but NOAA is rating the planetary K index, also known as Kp, at a 6 out of 9.
This rates the amount of geomagnetic activity and indicates how far away from the poles the aurora could be visible, according to NOAA. A Kp score around 6-7 indicates very bright auroral activity, per NOAA.
“At this geomagnetic activity level, it might be possible to see the aurora from the northern edge of the United States,” the agency says of the Kp score.
Wednesday night’s forecast is rated at a Kp of 5 as of Tuesday afternoon, which indicates a possible strong aurora.
When will the northern lights be visible?
The northern lights are only visible at nighttime, according to NOAA. That means the aurora could be visible in parts of the northern United States once it gets dark this evening.
The aurora is usually seen just after sunset or just before sunrise, according to NOAA. The agency says the best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight.
As always, it also depends on cloud cover, and this evening is looking cloudy in Burlington.
Where to check the northern lights forecast
To track the latest northern lights forecast, check out these websites:
Melina Khan is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY Network – New England, which serves more than a dozen affiliated publications across New England. She can be reached at MKhan@gannett.com.