Delaware

Northern lights forecast: Auroras may be visible across US. Will you see them in Delaware?

Published

20 mins ago

November 28, 2024

Northern lights forecast: Auroras may be visible across US. Will you see them in Delaware?

After filling up on turkey, stuffing and a couple of slices of pie, Mother Nature will have an aerial fireworks show for you Thursday and Friday night.

A solar storm is forecast to reach Earth and produce colorful northern lights in the Northern Hemisphere.

The phenomenon, also known as the aurora borealis, should be visible on Thanksgiving and Black Friday in parts of the northern United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The northern lights are courtesy of a coronal mass ejection hurtling toward Earth, which prompted NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday and Friday. The forecast storm won’t quite have the oomph of the G4-level whopper that came along Oct. 10, but it should still unveil the auroras across the Northern Hemisphere.

Here’s what to know about the northern lights and how to see them on Thanksgiving night in the U.S.

Northern lights: Amid solar maximum, auroras should be more visible across the U.S.

Where will the auroras be visible?

The auroras are best seen around the magnetic poles of the Northern and Southern hemispheres in Europe, Asia and North America. In the U.S., Alaska is well known to have the best viewing opportunities for the northern lights.

The auroras may become visible in some northern and upper Midwest states from New York to Idaho, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center’s experimental Aurora view line. The visibility for viewing also will depend on local weather conditions and city lights.

The northern lights may also be visible low on the horizon in several cities, according to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks Geophysical Institute website, which tracks the phenomenon.

Those include:

Boise, Idaho
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Lincoln, Nebraska
Indianapolis
Annapolis, Maryland

Will the northern lights be visible in Delaware?

While the auroras will be visible as far south as Annapolis, folks in Delaware may have issues seeing anything Thursday night. The National Weather Service forecast is calling for a 100% chance of rain Thursday, mostly before noon. While the rain will move off, the forecast for Thursday night is calling for partly cloudy skies which could hinder visibility.

The best chance to see the northern lights is Friday. The forecast is calling for mostly clear skies. You will want to bring a jacket as lows are expected to drop into the upper 20s.

When is the best time to see the northern lights?

As a rule of thumb, if the weather is clear, the best aurora is usually visible within an hour or two of midnight, according to NOAA. And if it looks as if the northern lights will flare up near you, you should get away from cities and travel to dark locations free from light pollution so you can best see them.

The agency also maintains an aurora dashboard that should help skygazers track the phenomenon.

What causes the northern lights

The auroras are a natural light display in Earth’s sky. The phenomenon is caused when electrically charged particles from space enter Earth’s atmosphere and collide with molecules and gases like oxygen and nitrogen, causing the atmospheric particles to gain energy. To return to their normal state, the particles release that energy in the form of light, according to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

As auroras form, Earth’s magnetic field redirects the particles toward the poles through a process that produces a stunning display of rays, spirals and flickers that have fascinated humans for millennia.

Why northern lights activity is increasing

Now that the sun is at the height of its 11-year cycle, the increase in solar activity has more frequently fueled “space weather” that produces the right conditions for northern lights to flourish.

Regions of intense magnetic activity known as sunspots are proliferating on the solar surface and are capable of releasing intense bursts of radiation resulting in solar flares that can hurtle toward Earth at the speed of light, according to NOAA. Some of the flares can be accompanied by coronal mass ejections, or clouds of plasma and charged particles, that emerge from the sun’s outermost atmosphere, the corona.

These ejections can collide with Earth’s magnetosphere, the barrier protecting humanity from the harshest effects of space weather, to produce geomagnetic storms that unleash spectacular views of the northern lights in parts of the country where auroras are not often visible.

What’s more, because NASA expects the solar maximum to continue into 2025, aurora chasers should have plenty more opportunities to catch the northern lights.

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Delaware

Work has begun to restore eroded shoreline north of Delaware Indian River Inlet

Published

8 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Work has begun to restore eroded shoreline north of Delaware Indian River Inlet

This story is part of the WHYY News Climate Desk, bringing you news and solutions for our changing region.

From the Poconos to the Jersey Shore to the mouth of the Delaware Bay, what do you want to know about climate change? What would you like us to cover? Get in touch.

An emergency dredging project to restore severe beach erosion along a popular surfing and fishing spot north of Delaware’s Indian River Inlet began this week.

The $15 million initiative aims to restore the shoreline on the north side of the Indian River Inlet Bridge.

Two separate storms earlier this year triggered dune breaches along the coastline, closing portions of the Coastal Highway.

The project is a crucial step to protect the highway, which serves as an emergency evacuation route, according to Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

The project will also prepare the area for the increasing intensity of storms caused by climate change, said the agency’s secretary, Shawn Garvin.

“[The area] is in a position where it tends to lose sand faster than other areas of the coastline, and does not naturally regenerate,” Garvin said. “It is at the foot of the bridge. It is a very popular area for fishing and surfing, and general beach use. So, we’re looking to try to get it back into a stable situation.”

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Delaware

East Coast Has a New Drought Worry

Published

16 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Salty ocean water is creeping up the Delaware River, the source for much of the drinking water for Philadelphians and millions of others, brought on by drought conditions and sea level rise, and prompting officials to tap reservoirs to push the unpotable tide back downstream. Officials say drinking water isn’t imminently at risk yet, but they’re monitoring the effects of the drought on the river and studying options for the future in case further droughts sap the area, per the AP.

What is the salt front? The salt front, or salt line, is where salt water from the ocean and fresh water meet in the river. That boundary is typically somewhere around Wilmington, Delaware, but the recent drought has pushed it about 20 miles north.

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Delaware

Delaware Lottery Mega Millions, Play 3 Day winning numbers for Nov. 26, 2024

Published

24 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Delaware Lottery Mega Millions, Play 3 Day winning numbers for Nov. 26, 2024

The Delaware Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024 results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Nov. 26 drawing

05-22-24-39-42, Mega Ball: 03, Megaplier: 3

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Play 3 numbers from Nov. 26 drawing

Day: 8-2-9

Night: 7-2-2

Check Play 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Play 4 numbers from Nov. 26 drawing

Day: 2-1-9-9

Night: 9-5-9-0

Check Play 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Multi-Win Lotto numbers from Nov. 26 drawing

03-05-09-17-24-33

Check Multi-Win Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Nov. 26 drawing

27-29-32-33-47, Lucky Ball: 02

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Play 5 numbers from Nov. 26 drawing

Day: 5-1-8-7-3

Night: 0-2-3-7-4

Check Play 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Sign the Ticket: Establish legal ownership by signing the back of your ticket with an ink pen.
Prizes up to $599: Claim at any Delaware Lottery Retailer, in person at the Delaware Lottery Office, or mail your signed ticket and claim form; print your name/address on the ticket’s back and keep a copy/photo for records. By mail, send original tickets and documentation to: Delaware Lottery, 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover, DE 19904.
Prizes up to $2,500: Claim in person at Delaware Lottery Retailer Claim Centers throughout Kent, Sussex and New Castle Counties.
Prizes of $5,001 or more: Claim in person at the Delaware Lottery Office (business days 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with a photo ID and Social Security card.
For all prize claims, directions to the Delaware Lottery Office are available online or via mapquest.com for a map.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Delaware Lottery.

Can I claim a jackpot prize anonymously in Delaware?

Fortunately for First State residents, the Delaware Lottery allows winners remain anonymous. Unlike many other states that require a prize be over a certain jackpot, Delawareans can remain anonymous no matter how much, or how little, they win.

How long do I have to claim my prize in Delaware?

Tickets are valid for up to one year past the drawing date for drawing game prizes or within one year of the announced end of sales for Instant Games, according to delottery.com.

When are the Delaware Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
Play 3, 4: Daily at 1:58 p.m. and 7:57 p.m., except Sunday afternoon.
Multi-Win Lotto: 7:57 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Lucky for Life: Daily at 10:38 p.m.
Lotto America: 11:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Delaware Online digital operations manager. You can send feedback using this form.

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