Northern Lights Tonight – Best Time for Viewing

There will be multiple opportunities for a display of the Northern Lights over the next two days, starting tonight, August 3, 2010. Currently, the estimated arrival times are:

* Wednesday, Aug. 4 – 3:00 a.m. EDT
* Wednesday, Aug. 4 – 1:00 p.m. EDT (aurorae not visible in daylight)
* Wednesday, Aug. 4 – 8:00 p.m. EDT
* Thursday, Aug. 5 – 2:00 a.m. EDT

Any one of these events may or may not generate an aurora. It depends on details like magnetic field orientation. If the magnetic field in the oncoming solar plasma is directed opposite Earth’s magnetic field, the result could be spectacular aurorae. If the fields line up, the coronal mass ejection could slide past our planet with nary a ripple.

Viewing tips: No fancy equipment is needed to see the Northern Lights. You should seek a viewing location with dark skies, as far from city lights as possible. Then, look to the north. An aurora appears as a ghostly sheen of light, colored green or red, that slowly shimmers and undulates over time. An aurora can disappear within minutes or last for hours.