If the skies are clear on Wednesday night, look up — you may get a chance to see the northern lights.
The U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a strong geomagnetic storm watch for late Sept. 6 and 7, which means there’s a good chance to see dancing colours across the starry night sky.
The watch was issued after the sun released a fast-moving stream of particles, called a coronal mass ejection, on Monday. It’s anticipated that those particles will arrive late on Sept. 6 and into Sept. 7.
A graphic provided by the Storm Weather Prediction Center illustrates locations where the northern lights may be visible on Wednesday night. (Space Weather Prediction Center)
Canada sits in a favourable latitude for observing the northern lights. While the phenomena are seen most often near the Arctic, even moderate geomagnetic storms can be visible in lower latitudes fairly regularly, depending on the sun’s activity.
And since this storm is considered strong, southern Ontario and parts of the U.S. could get to share in the spectacle.
Direct hit! NASA prediction model shows #solarstorm launched today hits Earth late on September 6! Expect #hamradio, #GPS issues & #aurora! pic.twitter.com/40QNDh72nT
For the best chance to see the lights, head out to a dark location and look north. You can try photographing them with a DSLR on a tripod by taking a 15- to 20-second exposure with the focus set on infinity or a distant object.
For an update on the chances of seeing the northern lights, you can visit the Space Weather Prediction Center’s 30-minute forecast.