The Northern Lights Will Be Visibile in 18 States This Week
The Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, are a breathtaking natural phenomenon that normally occurs near the North Pole (Santa is so lucky!). Catching a glimpse of this natural light show should absolutely be at the top of your bucket list. If you live in the Northern United States, you may just be able to cross this one off your list this week.
According to the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute, the Northern Lights should be visible in 18 U.S. states on Wednesday and Thursday this week (July 12 and 13). These states are: Maine, New York, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Massachusetts and, of course, Alaska.
The Northern Lights are a result of Earth's magnetic field interacting with charged particles from the sun. When the particles enter the Earth's atmosphere, they create beautiful colorful displays of light. The atmosphere is weaker near the poles, hence why Aurora Borealis is visible in these regions more often. The phenomenon usually produces green light, but the light can also be red, purple or blue or a combination of more than one of these colors.
Here are some tips that will increase your changes of catching the light show this week:
Get away from the city lights (the less light pollution the better)
Get to high ground (you will have a less obstructed view at higher elevations)
Look around in all directions (lights may only be visible in one direction)
Check the weather (cloudy or stormy conditions can affect your view)
Go outside between 10 pm and 2 am local time (2 hours before and after midnight are when the lights are most visible)
Aurora Borealis activity will be higher in some states on the 12th and others on the 13th, so make sure to check the Aurora forecast for your location. The Northern Lights will also be visible in most of Canada including Toronto and Vancouver. Now, bust out your tent and get ready for the show of a lifetime!
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