Where the Northern Lights May Be Visible on Thanksgiving and Black Friday — Details
Civilians in various U.S. states had a chance to witness the Northern Lights at the beginning of this month (November 2024), and might have another opportunity to do so.
The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) recently shared information concerning the potential aurora borealis displays over North America on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Their data indicates the view line showing the southernmost locations where the aurora might be visible on the northern horizon, and the predicted intensity of the light spectacle.
The night sky in Wisconsin glows with the Northern Lights in 2024. | Source: Getty Images
To calculate the projection, the SWPC uses the OVATION model, which stands for “Oval Variation, Assessment, Tracking, Intensity, and Online Nowcasting.” This empirical model indicates the “intensity of the aurora.”
The Northern Lights seen over Wisconsin in 2024. | Source: Getty Images
According to the SWPC, “The model uses maximum forecast geomagnetic activity (Kp) between 6pm and 6am US Central Time [sic]” for tonight and tomorrow evening (November 28 and 29).
The organization issued a geomagnetic storm watch for both days on November 26, due to the arrival of a coronal mass ejection (CME) “associated with a filament eruption that took off the Sun late on” November 25.
Two images of a map, which are subject to continuous updates, display where the aurora is most likely to occur. According to the map’s view line, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine are the states likely to witness the aurora.
An illustration of a map of the U.S. created in 2019. | Source: Getty Images
The northern regions of Idaho, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York are within the aurora view line as well. In the images, the aurora’s brightness and location are typically indicated by a “green oval centered on Earth’s magnetic pole.” When the Northern Lights are expected to increase in intensity, the green oval changes to red.
Although the aurora is not visible during daylight hours, the light spectacle can be observed just before sunrise or just after sunset. The SWPC also clarifies that the Northern Lights “can be observed from as much as 1000 [sic] km away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right.”
The Northern Lights...
