Northern Californians have a rare chance to see the northern lights— typically best seen in Alaska—Friday and Saturday night amid a severe geomagnetic storm.
The rare event could mean the phenomenon—technically called aurora borealis— is visible in the United States from as far north as Alaska to as far south as Alabama.
The University of Alaska’s Fairbanks Geophysical Institute said the northern lights are most likely to be seen on Saturday night in California.
The auroral displays will be visible overhead from northwest Canada to Carson City, Nevada; Oklahoma City; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Raleigh, North Carolina; and low on the horizon from Southern California, Phoenix, Austin, and Montgomery, Alabama.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has been monitoring the sun since May 8 after a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which NOAA describes as large expulsions of plasma from the sun’s corona.
The aurora borealis is not likely to be seen in big cities such as San Francisco or Sacramento because of light pollution. Would-be viewers are encouraged to try a national park, remote beach or mountain peak.
Ryan Wyatt, senior director of San Francisco’s Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences, is optimistic the Bay Area will have a good view Saturday night.
Clouds could make it impossible to see the display. The aurora will be barely visible during lower flares, but during peaks it will brighten the sky with hues of purple green, and blue.
Be prepared to stay up late, and give your eyes time to adjust. Experts also recommend a long-exposure camera to capture the display. .
In March 2023, the aurora made an appearance near Shasta Lake in Northern California, which might be a potential viewing point for this weekend’s storm.
While Northern Californians are hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare event, officials are considering the possible disruption of satellite communications, GPS systems, and power grids.
