![]() ![]() NPR reporter Joe Hernandez contributed to this article. ![]() Scan the skies - while northern is in the name, they can appear from all directions.Check the forecast for signs of clouds or precipitation, which could block your view.Pick a spot where there is little light pollution.You don't need any special equipment to see auroras. The excited electrons eventually calm down and release light, which is what we see as the aurora. When the electrons reach Earth's thin upper atmosphere, they collide with nitrogen and oxygen molecules, sending them into an excited state. If they were moving with the right speed relative to the wave, they would get picked up and accelerated. "In order to surf, you need to paddle up to the right speed for an ocean wave to pick you up and accelerate you, and we found that electrons were surfing. The natural phenomenon should be able to be spotted on. (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire) Meteorologists at the MET Office have predicted that the Northern Lights will be visible in the skies over Scotland this weekend due to a blast of solar wind. "Think about surfing," said Jim Schroeder, an assistant physics professor at Wheaton College who has led research on the process. The Northern Lights could be visible in the skies above Scotland this weekend. Science What Causes The Northern Lights? Scientists Finally Know For Sure A CME projects plasma and pieces of the sun's magnetic field into the atmosphere. What happens during a geomagnetic storm?ĭuring the storm, a coronal hole (the spots that appear black on the sun) prompts high winds, which in turn, trigger coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. The phenomenon, known scientifically as the aurora borealis, typically occurs closer to the North Pole, near Alaska and Canada.īut the storm could push the aurora lights farther south Thursday and Friday, and if weather conditions permit, could be seen in regions of Pennsylvania, Iowa and Oregon. this week due to a strong geomagnetic storm, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Northern Lights may be visible in the mainland U.S. Army Alaska, soldiers from Alpha Company, 70th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, conduct unscheduled field maintenance under the Northern Lights on a squad vehicle in preparation for platoon external evaluations at Donnelly Training Area, near Fort Greely. ![]()
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