A massive solar flare which erupted from the sun on August 14th, could result in the northern lights being seen below the Canadian-United States border tonight. Solar flares are eruptions of plasma and radiation associated with sunspots, according to NASA. These flares are often accompanied by the release of giant bubbles of solar material, known as coronal mass ejections or CME’s. CME’s that hit the earth’s magnetic barrier cause us to see the northern lights, better known as auroras.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the CME’s from August 14 could strike the earth sometime between tonight and early Sunday morning. This collision could briefly disrupt certain satellite operations, trigger radio blackouts, and push the northern lights to lower latitudes than usual.
No one can be certain when a CME will strike or how strong they will be. According to Brandon Specktor, editor of Live Science, even if this weekend’s auroral display misses us, we can expect more chances to view the northern lights in the months to come, due to an increase in solar flare activity.
