Got FOMO because you missed the spectacular Northern Lights that danced through New England only 21 days ago? Well, sweet redemption might be en route.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA) predicts that another Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is expected to strike the Earth’s atmosphere tonight, May 31, 2024. This rare spectacle may cause the Northern Lights to be visible as far north as Maine and as far south as New York.
Tonight’s storm on May 31 is categorized as a G2 storm. The storm that blasted your social media and caused the Northern Lights to be visible around the world on May 10 was a category G5.
While this storm is three tiers weaker, the Space Weather Prediction Center is still categorizing it as a geomagnetic storm and is under storm watch for the night of Friday May 31 into the early morning hours of Saturday June 1.
If you’re eager for a chance to view the Aurora Borealis in New England tonight, here’s everything you need to know!
When is the best time to witness the Northern Lights in New England?
NOAA suggests that within one hour of midnight is the ideal time to view the Northern Lights. The suggested viewing time is between 10 PM until 2 AM.
Are the lights visible to the naked eye?
This geomagnetic storm is not strong enough to view the Northern Lights by eye. Cameras are much better at capturing light, if the storm is powerful enough to cause solar flares, a smartphone or professional camera may be able to capture dazzling hues of purple and green.
Where in New England can I see the Northern Lights?
The storm is best seen from an area with low light pollution. The Northern Lights are predicted to be visible across every New England state tonight, but it is important to be in a very dark area with no light pollution, such as a park or beach.
How likely am I to view the Northern Lights tonight?
The storm on May 10 that had widespread visibility has a geomagnetic index of Kp 8, a scale which measures storm activity. The scale ranges from 0-9, with nine marking the most active solar flares.
The storm index for the May 31 CME is Kp 6, so slightly weaker than the prior storm, but still ranking high in activity.
Happy viewing! Worst case scenario, you can explore this photo gallery of Northern Lights around New England from earlier this month.