Wyomingites interested in seeing one of nature’s best light shows might be able to skip a trip up to the North Pole and catch a glimpse from home instead. The northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, are set to appear above 17 U.S. cities next week, offering colorful views to residents in the northern parts of several states, Wyoming included.
A forecast by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute predicts that auroral activity will be high and visible in parts of the U.S. and Canada next Thursday, July 13, saying in part: “Weather permitting, highly active auroral displays will be visible overhead from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit to Vancouver, Helena, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Bay City, Toronto, Montpelier, and Charlottetown, and visible low on the horizon from Salem, Boise, Cheyenne, Lincoln, Indianapolis and Annapolis.”
Some lucky Wyomingites will get chance to view the phenomena, but the best bet is for those living in certain parts of the state. Here’s what you need to know if you want to best prepared to catch a glimpse.
Northern lights 2023: 17 US states could see northern lights next week. Here's where you might view them.
Where could the northern lights appear in Wyoming?
According to the forecast, Cheyenne can expect overhead views of the lights. Depending on weather conditions and the level of geomagnetic activity, locations surrounding Cheyenne and other points in the state may also be able to see the northern lights either overheard or "low on the horizon."
What time will the northern lights be visible?
The best viewing time is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center says. Clear skies are necessary for people hoping to get a look, meaning those interested should try to distance themselves from city light pollution.
As the day approaches, NOAA will monitor the geomagnetic activity and release a forecast of its own.
Where else can the Northern Lights be seen?
Other states that might get their own chance to see the lights include:
- Alaska
- Montana
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Michigan
- Maine
- Maryland
- New York
- New Hampshire
- Washington
- Vermont
- Idaho
- Oregon
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When was the last major northern light event in the U.S.?
A geomagnetic storm, defined by the NOAA as a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere, occurred in April and made light visible in 30 states. The aurora could be seen in parts of Iowa, North Dakota and Kansas.
What are the northern lights?
The northern lights, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, are a luminous glow seen around the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. Known for creating ribbons of colorful light in the night sky, the aurora borealis are polar lights, or aurora polaris, that appear in the northern hemisphere.
The southern hemisphere has its own polar lights known as the southern lights, or aurora australis, which create their own dazzling display.
What causes the northern lights?
Put simply, auroras a result of the sun interacting with the earth’s atmosphere. A collision between electrically charged particles from the sun and gases in Earth’s atmosphere produces a series of minuscule flashes which appear like moving lights in the sky. The charged particles are pulled towards the North and South poles due to earth’s magnetic field.
While that magnetic field usually protects the earth from solar winds, the winds can occasionally get strong enough to bypass the field, allowing particles and gases in the magnetosphere to interact and generate the colorful displays, according to the Geophysical Institute and the Canadian Space Agency.
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