If you live in northern portions of the U.S., you might be able to witness the northern lights this Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Adding to the list of things to be grateful for this season is the potential for auroras in the sky over the holiday weekend. This is due to the possibility of a solar storm occurring over the next few days. In fact, the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center posted a statement on X regarding the matter:
“A G1 (Minor) watch has been issued for 28 Nov and a G2 (Moderate) watch was issued for 29 Nov due to the arrival of a CME associated with a filament eruption that took off the Sun late on 25 Nov,” the center wrote.
This solar storm could possibly make the Northern Lights more visible in a wider portion of the Northern Hemisphere—an occurrence that’s become more frequent in recent months. This is because the sun has reached its solar maximum period this year, which occurs every 11 years when the sun’s magnetic poles flip.
“During solar maximum, the number of sunspots, and therefore, the amount of solar activity, increases,” said Jamie Favors, director of the Space Weather Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, per NASA. “This increase in activity provides an exciting opportunity to learn about our closest star—but also causes real effects at Earth and throughout our solar system.”
Due to this solar maximum, back in October, stargazers from outside the usual aurora borealis hotspots were able to witness the Northern Lights from their own backyards. This once-in-a-decade event will likely last for 12 months, meaning if you don’t catch it this time, there’s a good chance you will sometime during the remainder of 2024 or sometime in 2025.
And one of those occasions might just be Thanksgiving.
According to AP News, if you live in the following states, you’ll have the best chance of witnessing the possible auroras this week: Washington, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine. Additionally, the lights might be visible in the northern portions of Idaho, Wyoming, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, the outlet reported.
The post You Just Might See the Northern Lights During Thanksgiving Dinner This Year appeared first on VICE.
The post You Just Might See the Northern Lights During Thanksgiving Dinner This Year appeared first on VICE.
