Northern Lights Will Be Visible in Parts of the United States — Just in Time for Frozen 2!
Frozen 2 is almost here — and what better way to prepare for its release than with a breathtaking nighttime show?
On Wednesday night, areas of the Northern United States or Canada may be lucky enough to see the northern lights, or aurora borealis, according to the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.
The auroral activity happens when the sun releases electrically charged particles into the Earth’s atmosphere. Those particles then collide with gas molecules and atoms, which are primarily oxygen and nitrogen, the Institute explains on their website.
When these charged particles hit Earth’s atmosphere, they cause electrons to move to a higher energy state.
However, when they move back to a lower state, they release light, which just so happens to create the beautiful spectacle we have come to know as the Northern and Southern Lights.
Colors of the sky are determined by the composition and density of the atmosphere, along with the altitude of the collisions, according to the Institute. While most auroras are seen as neon green, there have been times where the sky has been shades of red, pink, blue and purple.
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The Institute says that the best time to view the lights will be between 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET, noting that a clear, dark sky makes viewing conditions ideal.
As for the best places to see the lights? Based on a map on the website, U.S. states bordering Canada — including Washington, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana — appear to be within the radar lines.
“Weather permitting, active auroral displays will be visible overhead from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit to Juneau, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Sept-Iles, and visible low on the horizon from Vancouver, Great Falls, Pierre, Madison, Lansing, Ottawa, Portland and St. Johns,” the site reads.
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The real-life sky spectacle comes two days before the magic of Frozen 2 is set to hit theaters.
The animated film, which takes place in a fictional Scandinavia-like area that would likely see the Northern Lights and has its own similarly-stunning visuals, follows the story of Elsa and Anna as they venture out to a distant kingdom.
Prior to its release, the Disney movie, which stars Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad, has already sold more tickets on Atom Tickets and Fandango in its first 24 hours of presales than any other animated movie, Forbes reports.
Frozen 2 is in theaters this Friday.
