New Yorkers Will Be Able to See the Northern Lights This Week

An atmospheric optical phenomenon could be visible over New York State and other northern regions of the United States this week due to a geomagnetic storm, reports SiLive.

The Northern Lights are a stunning natural phenomenon. They create an incredible play of colors dancing across the sky. They are usually seen in countries bordering the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.

These natural light shows are the result of magnetic storms. They are caused by stellar activity, such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

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When a solar storm approaches Earth, some of the energy and small particles can move into the atmosphere along magnetic field lines at the north and south poles.

"There, the particles interact with gases in our atmosphere. This results in beautiful light manifestations in the sky. Oxygen emits green and red light. Nitrogen glows blue and violet," NASA explained.

When to Expect the Northern Lights in the USA

The CME occurred early on September 8 and will arrive by midday on September 10, causing moderate geomagnetic storm effects.

This means that the north radiance may be delayed from September 10 to 11.

Auroras can be seen in the northern United States, in the upper Midwest states from New York to Idaho.

"The effects of the coronal mass ejection from the eruption that occurred early on September 8 will be evident by midday on September 10 (UTC). This will cause moderate geomagnetic storm effects," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said. "Any geomagnetic storm effects that persist through September 11 (UTC) will likely be reduced to minor storms."

The aurora borealis is best seen at night. You can see it if you go outside of city lights. The moon will only be 40% full. This will reduce the amount of light in the sky after dark.