Northern Lights: When can you see them in Pennsylvania?
The Space Weather Prediction Center provides forecasts for when the Northern Lights may be visible in Pennsylvania.
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, is a captivating phenomenon characterized by colorful dancing waves of light in the sky. When there is a strong enough geomagnetic storm, the aurora can be seen in Pennsylvania.
During these storms, charged particles collide with gases in the earth's upper atmosphere, producing the spectacle.
The stronger the geomagnetic storm or larger the amount of material ejected by the sun, the farther south the Northern Lights can be seen during a storm.
How you can see the Northern Lights
- Check NOAA's Aurora forecast website. It's a great resource for potential viewing times.
- If a Northern Lights viewing is in the forecast, check the WGAL News 8 Storm Team forecast to see if local conditions are favorable. Just because the Aurora is active, that doesn't necessarily mean cloud cover and other local conditions won't interfere with its visibility.
- If everything lines up for a viewing, you'll want to maximize the darkness to really enjoy the show. Your best bet is to head to rural areas with very little light pollution. Find a spot, such as a hill or mountaintop, with a clear view of the northern sky and soak it all in.
Northern Lights forecast
The Space Weather Prediction Center's website says the Planetary K-index is used to characterize the magnitude of geomagnetic storms. The Kp index goes between 0 and 9.
To see the Northern Lights in parts of Pennsylvania, a Kp index of at least a seven is needed. At a 7, a faint colored glow low on the horizon, usually in the northern sky, is what we see. The farther north you go, the better your chances are to see the aurora.
Read more about the Space Weather Prediction Center here: www.spaceweather.gov.
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