There’s a slim chance that Northern Californians might catch a glimpse of the northern lights between midnight and daybreak on Friday morning, thanks to solar activity pushing the phenomenon farther south than usual.
If visible, residents are likely to witness a reddish glow in the sky, according to Travis Rector, a professor of astronomy and physics at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, who suggests the early hours of Friday offer the best viewing opportunity.
Typically confined to an oval shape around the North Pole, auroras, as their activity intensifies, extend their visibility southward. While the University of Alaska Fairbanks forecast doesn’t anticipate the aurora reaching California, it’s expected to be visible on the horizon in northern parts of the state, with Oregon likely to experience sightings after midnight.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests the aurora viewing line could stretch to Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Oregon, although remaining above the northernmost part of California.
UC Berkeley astronomy professor Alex Filippenko is skeptical about significant aurora visibility in California due to recent solar storms and released particles being insufficient. Travis Rector emphasizes the uncertainty of predictions, acknowledging past inaccuracies.
Auroras result from high-energy solar particles interacting with Earth’s magnetic field, creating colorful displays at the poles.
They can appear as green or red wisps, with the upcoming aurora forecast for Friday leaning toward red, according to Rector. However, the less sensitivity of human eyes to red light might make it challenging for observers.
If present in California, the aurora is expected to be faint, and cameras may have better chances of capturing the display than the naked eye.
Adequate visibility is crucial, and the current near-full moon and potential high clouds could hinder viewing.
Aurora visibility is unpredictable and varies by the hour or even minute. Rector describes the phenomenon, noting that it might involve long stretches of faint glow interrupted by bursts of increased brightness and movement, though such activity is more common with green auroras.
While Alaska boasts a roughly 50/50 chance of aurora visibility on winter nights, the allure of witnessing this natural spectacle never diminishes.