Will California see the northern lights again on Sunday?
(FOX40.COM) — People all over California got the rare chance to see the northern lights two nights in a row and some are hoping for a third chance on Sunday.
• Video Above: Northern lights and weather forecast
The astronomical light show, officially known as aurora borealis, was caused by a severe solar storm rated as G5, the highest level. Solar storms of G5 magnitude are extremely rare – so much so that this is the first one in over two decades.
Severe solar storm could disrupt power grid, GPS, technology
On Sunday, “very fast-moving coronal mass ejections will slam into Earth’s magnetic field,” according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. That means several Americans will have the opportunity for a third consecutive view of the glowing green, pink, and purple lights in the sky.
What time is best to view the northern lights?
California residents capture views of the northern lights
In California, there is still a slight chance to get a glimpse of the aurora borealis, or northern lights. The best time to view it was on Friday night. On Saturday, some rural parts of the state caught a glimpse of the light dancing in the sky. Come Sunday, chances of visibility are slim, but still possible with a camera lens.
“You have to get away from the light and really adjust your eyes to the darkness,” said FOX40 meteorologist Dennis Shanahan. “Your phone camera can see those lights a lot better than your naked eye can so if you don’t see it, point your phone to the north and you might.’
Shanahan added that people who want to see the aurora should get away from light pollution and go as far north as possible.
People in California have reported that night mode on their phone devices helps enhance the view of the northern lights. The best time for viewing has been between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Effects of the solar storm are forecast to happen over the next few days. A solar intensity map and a northern lights visibility map were recently published on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. There, people can keep up with the latest information on the Aurora forecast.
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