Overview
- NOAA says auroras may be visible from Wednesday night into early Thursday, with the prime window around 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. local time.
- The potential viewing zone includes Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest into parts of the Northeast and Great Lakes, with higher odds in Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and northern Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
- Viewers should seek dark locations away from city lights, face north with a clear horizon, and use real-time tools such as My Aurora Forecast & Alerts; NASA notes the glow comes from solar particles colliding with oxygen and nitrogen in the upper atmosphere.
- Experts cite enhanced odds around the March 20 equinox, while NOAA notes geomagnetic activity is expected to be moderate to strong, including a G2 storm forecast for Friday.
- In Spain, local astronomers say auroras on March 20 in Galicia are unlikely under current projections, which would need to be far stronger to reach such low latitudes.