The northern lights flash across the sky above a farmhouse late Friday, May 10, 2024, in Brunswick, … [+]
Earth is currently experiencing some of the strongest geomagnetic storms for more than 20 years, with the northern and southern lights visible at latitudes that rarely see auroras.
The Aurora has been observed as far south as Arizona and Florida and southern Europe. The very rare displays look set to continue throughout the weekend with continued activity expected. An X-class solar flare on the sun on Friday could means they continue on Sunday and beyond.
However, don’t do it expect the aurora is extremely bright in your yard tonight, tomorrow night or any other night. Or be able to take incredible pictures with your smartphone without trying. Both may it’s possible, depending on your location, but here’s what you should do to maximize your chances:
1. Find us when the sun goes down
Auroral activity can be incredibly high at any time of day, but unless it’s very dark you won’t see anything. Discovering the time of sunset where you are it’s easy enough, but you should also know that at this time of year in the northern hemisphere, twilight lasts an hour or more. Don’t expect to see much before astronomical darkness around 90 minutes after sunset.
2. Check the Cloud cover
If it’s cloudy, you won’t see anything. But there are different types of clouds. Low cloud is all you need to be Really worry about. If you have 90% low cloud, it’s probably game over. However, if you don’t have a low cloud—whether you have a high cloud or not—the game could start. The high cloud is cirrus, which is typically thin and fragrant and does not greatly affect the view of the aurora. Check your location Clear OutThe Scope Nights application or Windy—or any app or website with low, medium, and high cloud items. Be wary of apps that just give you a percentage of cloud coverage, which could cause you to call off a chase for no reason. Of course, the best way to check actual cloudiness is with your Mk1 Eyeballs—just go outside and use your own eyes.
People visit St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay to see the northern lights, commonly known as … [+]
3. Check the possibility of Aurora
There are several ways to check if the aurora is likely where you live. Apps that will give you notifications tailored to your location include; My Aurora Forecast & Alerts and AuroraWatchUK. Also worth checking out Aurora – 30 Minute Forecast – Space Weather Forecast Center.
4. Get out of town
Most people live in places that are resistant to aurora. This blanket of light pollution in cities, caused by thousands of lights (most of which need not be on at night), makes it very difficult to see anything but fine, colorless detail even in bright daylight. You might get lucky with particularly bright displays, but the best advice you’ll ever get to see the aurora is to get out of town and into dark country skies. Drive about 20 miles away from a town, use a Dark Sky Location Tracker or check it out light pollution map. In the UK there is a network of Dark Sky Discovery Sites.
5. Get a tripod and shoot raw
Yes, you can take pictures of the aurora with your smartphone. Just using ‘night mode’ or a long exposure will get you a good shot. Long exposures are how photographers get the dramatic color in their aurora shots – which can look distinctly gray to the naked eye. Some support will greatly improve your downloads. You can prop your phone up against something—perhaps a fence, wall, or anything else stable—but the best way to get beautiful long exposures is to use a tripod and a universal smartphone mount. Either way, shoot in raw quality if you can—you’ll then be able to make the images look amazing by editing them afterwards.
I wish you clear skies and open eyes.
