Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – October 10, 2024 – Arkansas residents are reporting sightings of the Aurora Borealis, otherwise called the “Northern Lights.”
What has been called a “severe” geomagnetic storm by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is causing the lights to be seen across much of the country. A coronal mass ejection of plasma clouds and charged particles driving the storm prompted NOAA’s Space Prediction Center to issue a rare G4 geomagnetic storm watch for the second time this year.
Despite the threat the solar storm poses to satellites, GPS signals and power grids, the storm watch is good news for aurora chasers: Because of the way the solar particles interact with Earth’s magnetosphere, the powerful eruption is making the vibrant northern lights visible to a wider swath of the northern hemisphere than usual.
While exact times of light viewing are difficult to predict, several space watch related websites are saying 8pm-Midnight is a good “watch time.” Find a dark spot and look to the North. If the lights aren’t visible to the naked eye, try using the night vision setting on your phone’s camera if available.