Sky watchers are bracing for a cosmic spectacle this evening – the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights are expected to be visible in 28 states tonight. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the most anticipated aurora could be visible from a large area of the northern United States on Monday evening.
The National Weather Service in Seattle said in a post on X that the solar storm had arrived early. “This morning’s forecast was for the Kp index to peak at 8 between 10pm and 1am, so the peak could be a bit earlier. There is a chance we could start to see the aurora borealis early this evening,” the Met Office said.
The Met Office said a G4 Watch is in effect from the night of January 19 due to the expected arrival of a coronal mass ejection (CME) on Earth.
The Northern Lights will grace the skies across the United States. You can enjoy the astronomical spectacle from New York to Washington state and as far south as Alabama to northern California.
As it moves into the Atlantic, the aurora borealis will be visible from northern parts of Britain, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, according to forecasters. Although cloud cover and rain may hinder visibility, it is likely that these lights will be seen further south.
If we consider the southern hemisphere, the aurora borealis could be visible over the southern parts of New Zealand and parts of Australia. The UK Met Office has predicted short hours of darkness at this time of year, which would limit visibility in these areas.
Because pForecasters are predicting a Kp index of eight out of nine tonight, signaling a strong geomagnetic storm that could cause the northern lights to be visible further south than usual.
