space

Northern Lights might be visible again Thursday and Friday nights. Here's what to know

Bethany Holland

We will have another good chance to see the Northern Lights in Connecticut tomorrow night and into Friday.

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is monitoring the sun after a strong solar flare and coronal mass ejection that began Tuesday night.

The solar activity was so strong, that space forecasters have issued a severe (G4) geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday and Friday. A watch at that level is very rare, according to the SWPC.

The good news is that the coronal mass ejection gives us a good chance to see the Northern Lights both Thursday night and Friday night. In fact, forecasters say this storm includes the potential for the Aurora Borealis to be seen as far south as Alabama.

The bad news? The severity of the solar activity could also lead to disruptions in satellite operations, communications, radio, navigation, and even the electric power grid. The SWPC has contacted operators of those systems so that they can take precautions to protect the systems.

Contact Us