While normally you'd have to venture to Canada's north to get a glimpse of the aurora, this week will provide opportunities for multiple major cities to catch the dancing lights, though parts of the country will have a better chance than others.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch early this week, advising the public that a coronal mass ejection could reach Earth and lead to increased geomagnetic activity.
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.
The public agency's Aurora Dashboard, which provides a prediction of the aurora’s visibility over the coming nights, shows that most of Canada should get the chance to witness the northern lights over the nights of January 23 and 24.
The NOAA's aurora visibility maps.NOAA
The NOAA's aurora visibility maps provide a prediction of where the aurora may be seen.
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.
The view line indicates areas where the aurora might be seen on the northern horizon, according to the NOAA.
While Tuesday night may provide lower chances to see the aurora, viewing opportunities will extend across much of the country. Parts of B.C., and most of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba may be able to catch a glimpse of the lights.
In Ontario, areas mostly north of Thunder Bay will have a chance of seeing the lights. Northern regions of Quebec and Newfoundland will also have the best chance of seeing auroras on Tuesday night.
However, on Wednesday, there will be a higher likelihood of aurora viewing across the country. Based on the forecast, Vancouver may just be able to catch a glimpse of the lights, and Edmonton will have a better chance of seeing auroras.
Most of Quebec and Newfoundland will have a better chance of seeing the northern lights on Wednesday night compared to Tuesday.
Northern regions of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba will also have a strong chance of seeing the auroras on Wednesday night.
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.
According to the NOAA, best aurora viewing is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time).
If you miss the northern lights this time around don't worry — according to forecasters, we will reach a period called solar maximum between January and October 2024, creating some of the best opportunities of the past 20 years for seeing auroras, so you'll likely have another chance.
Good luck!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
The NOAA's aurora visibility maps.
The NOAA's aurora visibility maps.