Will Toronto see the northern lights tonight? ‘Severe’ geomagnetic storms are boosting the likelihood
Look up, Toronto — shining colours could sweep across the night sky on Wednesday and into Thursday.
The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, are expected to glow over North America overnight, with most of Western Canada and parts of the Northern U.S. getting the best views.
The light show could appear over Toronto on Wednesday night, as the city is just on the edge of the area forecasted to potentially see the northern lights, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) space weather prediction centre.
The centre is forecasting strong and “severe” geomagnetic storms for Wednesday and Thursday nights, which the centre said result in some of the brightest aurora.
Minor geomagnetic storms are also likely on Friday, the centre said.
Wednesday’s storms following a dazzling display of colours Tuesday in Western Canada and the U.S., where hues were spotted as far south as Kansas, Colorado and Texas.
Here’s what stargazers need to know about the upcoming light show.
How to spot the northern lights
Toronto is on the outskirts of the area over which the northern lights are forecasted to shine, so it’s not guaranteed they will be visible in the city Wednesday night.
The potential light show could be blocked from sight by the cloudy skies expected overnight Wednesday, according to Environment Canada’s forecast. Viewers who do venture out to see the lights will face a 60 per cent chance of showers, a western wind gusting up to 50 C and a low of 2 C.
Stargazers hoping to catch a glimpse should avoid areas with city lights and head toward the north, according to the centre. Places with a clear view toward the north are best for spotting the lights.
Darker skies will make the lights appear more clearly, so the best time to look skywards is usually between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., the centre said.
If a viewer is at the right vantage point, like the top of a hill with a clear view, northern lights could be seen even if they are glowing 1,000 kilometres further north, the centre said.
What creates the northern lights?
The light show in the sky is caused by a coronal mass ejection from the sun, which the centre said is when the sun releases a billion tons of plasma. That solar wind interacts with Earth’s protective magnetic sphere, causing geomagnetic storms, and consequently, northern lights.
[Source: Toronto Star]
