Intense Solar Storm Will Make Northern Lights Visible In Maine

Normally, the Aurora Borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, is only visible in the far north.  Every once in a while, though, the conditions are just right for us to see them in some parts of the Northern United States, including Maine and New Hampshire.

It looks like conditions may be right for seeing them in our skies this Thursday.

According to an article on the WCSH 6 website, a powerful solar storm will cause the Aurora Borealis to be visible much farther south than it normally is.

Apparently, the Northern Lights are on an eleven year cycle, which is expected to peak in 2024.  Because of this, over the next year-ish, we'll see more instances where the Northern Lights are visible in places where they normally are not.

For example, the Aurora Borealis was visible in the State of Arizona earlier this spring.

So, what causes the Aurora Borealis?  According to the Canadian Government website, the Northern Lights happen when charged particles collide with gases in the atmosphere.  Each of these collisions causes a tiny flash of light.  All of those tiny flashes add up to create a brilliant, ghostly-green, light show.

Thursday's storm will release more of these particles, which will lead to a more intense Northern Lights.

The article explains that the Northern Lights will be visible in many of the country's northern states, including Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.  The best viewing will be from 10 PM on Thursday through 2 AM on Friday.

At this point, the National Weather Service is calling for cloudy skies on Thursday evening.  However, we are still a few days out, so this could change.  We've got our fingers cross.