Keep your eyes on the skies! The northern lights are forecast to shine across Canada this week, with opportunities to see them in several provinces.
According to the forecast, multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun are set to cause geomagnetic storms this week, resulting in brighter and more auroral activity.
While normally only seen in Canada's north, due to the solar storms, the lights are expected to dip down further across the country.
The forecast comes from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.
The NOAA issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch on February 11, advising the public that multiple CMEs that took place from February 8-10 are likely to cause minor-moderate geomagnetic storm conditions from February 12-14.
A geomagnetic storm is a disturbance in Earth's magnetic field caused by changes in the stream of the solar wind or the passage of a solar storm, according to NOAA.
During this disturbance, high-energy solar particles are funnelled down near the poles where they collide with the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the flashing light displays that we call the northern lights.
The stronger a geomagnetic storm is, the farther it tends to push the "arc" of the aurora borealis, meaning that the northern lights extend further south.
The NOAA's Aurora Dashboard provides a prediction of the aurora's visibility over the coming nights.
The NOAA's aurora visibility maps.NOAA
The colours represent the chance of seeing the aurora, with red indicating the highest probability, followed by green, with clear areas of the map having the lowest chance.
According to the forecast, Canucks will have the best chance to see auroras on the night of February 12. The following night, the aurora is predicted to still be visible, but less intense.
As the dashboard's aurora viewline forecast shows, cities as far south as Vancouver will have a decent chance of seeing the northern lights.
Other major cities like Edmonton, Calgary, Regina and Winnipeg should also have a good chance of seeing auroras. Parts of Labrador will also have a good chance of seeing the lights.
The map's viewline represents the southernmost locations from which you may see the aurora on the northern horizon, according to the NOAA. Toronto appears to be just inside the viewline, meaning that the aurora may be visible on the northern horizon here, although the likelihood of seeing the aurora will be low.
According to the NOAA, the best aurora viewing is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time).
However, take note that other conditions will affect whether the northern lights are visible or not, including cloudy skies. The best viewing can be found under clear skies in dark areas away from city light pollution.
Good luck!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.