UPDATE: The Northern Lights might be noticeable in the U.S. tonight(March 26), looking like far south as New York and Idaho due to a “coronal hole” sending out streams of charged particles towards Earth.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA )initally provided a G2 geomagnetic storm caution for Tuesday, March 25, which has now been extended into Wednesday (March 26).

Like cyclones, geomagnetic storms follow a 5-point seriousness scaleG2 storms are thought about “moderate” in strength and might trigger small technological disturbances such as radio blackouts, GPS breakdownsand an increased opportunity of identifying auroras at lower latitudes than typical.

“Watches of this level are not uncommon,” according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center; G2-strength geomagnetic storms struck Earth about 360 days in each 11-year solar cycle. These storms can impact spacecraft orbits and trigger weak power grid variations at high latitudes, however they mainly trigger “manageable effects to some technological infrastructure,” according to NOAA.

The Space Weather Prediction Center provided the prolonged storm caution since a “coronal hole” on the sun is dealing with Earth. Coronal holes are cooler, darker areas of the sun’s outer environment (the corona) that are less thick than typical, permitting high-speed solar winds– streams of charged particles– to leave from the sun and gush external into area. Presently, among these left high-speed streams is pointed straight at Earth.

Related: Effective ‘equinox auroras’ might show up quickly: Why altering seasons can bring the very best northern lights

Earth’s electromagnetic field deflects the majority of the solar wind, however some charged particles make it through into the upper layers of the environment. When the solar wind strikes Earth’s environment, charged particles shoot towards Earth’s poles, upseting climatic particles along the method and requiring them to discharge energy in the kind of vibrant auroras.

In October 2024, the sun reached its solar optimum durationthe most active part of its 11-year cycle. Throughout this duration, the sun’s magnetic poles turn, and area weather condition occasions like geomagnetic storms and solar flares happen more regularly. Researchers anticipate that the solar optimum will continue for a minimum of a couple of more months if not longer, offering extra chances to identify the Northern Lights.

On Wednesday night, “the aurora may become visible over some northern and upper Midwest states from New York to Idaho,” according to a declaration From NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction.

The best opportunities of identifying an aurora are on dark, clear nights in between 10pm and 2am, far from synthetic lights. You can see auroras with the naked eye, however their colors may look a lot more brilliant through a smart device screen.

Editor’s note: This short article was upgraded March 26 after NOAA extended its geomagnetic storm caution.

Skyler Ware is a freelance science reporter covering chemistry, biology, paleontology and Earth science. She was a 2023 AAAS Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellow at Science News. Her work has actually likewise appeared in Science News Explores, ZME Science and Chembites, to name a few. Skyler has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Caltech.