Unusually excessive geomagnetic exercise means the aurora borealis — the northern lights — could be seen in far northern California on Thursday.
The Kp index, which measures aurora energy, on Thursday reached 7 on a scale of 0 to 9, says the aurora forecast web page of the College of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute. A photo voltaic flare that erupted Thursday afternoon might hit the Earth’s environment tonight.
The institute’s map projecting aurora visibility put the southern fringe of overhead shows at Portland, Ore.; Cheyenne, Wyo.; and Lincoln, Nebraska. Within the zone the place the flickering glow could be seen low on the horizon are Redding and Eureka, in addition to Carson Metropolis, Nev., and Oklahoma Metropolis.
Friday’s index is predicted to drop to six, which continues to be thought of a geomagnetic storm.
The luminous show is induced when electrically charged particles within the photo voltaic wind collide with molecules and atoms of gasoline within the Earth’s environment. Sunspot exercise is on the rising facet of the 11-year cycle; the subsequent peak is predicted in 2025.
Along with the College of Alaska web site, different forecasts and aurora info may be discovered right here:
- 30-minute aurora forecast from the House Climate Prediction Heart of the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- 2022 aurora borealis information from House.com
- Apps that predict aurora exercise and generate alerts in your space may be downloaded to your cellular system