Solar flare may trigger auroras in northern U.S. ahead of Independence Day
A solar flare on Tuesday produced a coronal mass ejection that could cause visible auroras in parts of the northern United States on July 2-3, according to NOAA forecasts.
A solar flare that peaked at about 4:50 p.m. EDT on Tuesday released a burst of X-rays that reached Earth in roughly eight minutes, causing strong (R3) radio blackouts on the sunlit side of the planet. The event also generated a coronal mass ejection, a cloud of magnetized plasma that can interact with Earth’s magnetic field and trigger geomagnetic storms.
NOAA expects the resulting auroral activity to be visible across parts of the northern United States and the Upper Midwest on July 2 and July 3, with a forecasted Kp index of 5 for Thursday and Friday. States with the highest likelihood include Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, northern Michigan and Alaska.
"The best time to view the Northern Lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.," officials said.
Experts advise observers to seek dark locations away from city lights and with an unobstructed view of the northern horizon to improve chances of seeing the aurora.