ST. LOUIS – Keep your eyes on the skies this weekend. There’s a chance you could see a phenomenon known as the Northern Lights.
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a rare Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Friday and Saturday, a sign that the United States could soon the Northern Lights in several spots.
The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, occur when particles from a solar flare collide with molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere. The stunning show is best seen in places with very little light pollution.
According to the NOAA, an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection sparks a moderate geomagnetic storm. Numerous solar flares and coronal mass ejections are capable of sending plumes of solar radiation toward Earth, which can trigger the Northern Lights.
The NOAA reports that northern parts of Missouri and Illinois are on the projected view line of Northern Lights activity Friday evening and just south of the projected view line Saturday evening. The viewline generally represents the southern-most locations from which you may see the aurora on the northern horizon.
As of now, both Friday’s and Saturday’s projected viewlines appear to be north of St. Louis and Kansas City. In Illinois, cities around Chicago could have a stronger opportunity to experience the Northern Lights on Friday. Cloud cover in parts of Missouri and Illinois on Friday may also impact opportunities to observe.
If the northern lights are visible Friday night across Missouri and Illinois, the best viewing will be away from city lights. Rural areas with no light pollution are the best locations to try to witness it all.
The forecast Wednesday shows the best place to see them in Alaska and for states along the U.S.-Canada borders.
