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Best way to view Northern Lights across DC, Maryland & Virginia

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Published  October 11, 2024 4:17pm EDT
News
FOX 5 DC

The Brief

    • The Northern Lights will potentially be visible for the second night in a row.
    • Several D.C. residents say they spotted the Northern Lights on Thursday night thanks to a "severe" geomagnetic storm.  

Northern Lights illuminates DC, Maryland, Virginia sky

Armen Kurdian, a certified aero systems engineering professional, joins FOX 5's "DMV Zone" to discuss the geomagnetic storm that allowed residents to see the Northern Lights in the D.C. area Thursday night.

WASHINGTON - If you didn't get a chance to see the Northern Lights, you might have another chance Friday night thanks to a "severe" geomagnetic storm.  

According to Armen Kurdian, a certified aero systems engineering professional, there could be a second-chance to view the jaw-dropping sky. 

What we know:

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration forecasts the storm will reach a G-4 rating – or become a "severe" geomagnetic storm. The highest rating on the geomagnetic scale is G-5.

The Northern Lights are forecast to reach as far south as Northern California through Alabama. 

Related

Northern Lights visible in DC area Thursday
article

Northern Lights visible in DC area Thursday

Residents in the D.C. area reported seeing Northern Lights Thursday night thanks to a "severe" geomagnetic storm.  

Best way to spot the Northern Lights:

If the aurora display is relatively dim, it may only appear to your eyes as a faint green or milky haze, depending on the strength of the show. If the storm really gets going, more dazzling greens and purples may be seen with just your eyes, provided they've adjusted to the darkness.

It is recommended to use a camera, set it on long exposure, and the lights will pop out. Some even say cameras are better than the human eye at picking up the color at night.

Tips for viewing the Northern Lights

The NOAA recommends the following tips for the best chance to see the Northern Lights.

  • Go north.
  • Go to areas with less light pollution. You can use this map to find the best spots near you.
  • Often, the best times to see the aurora are closer to midnight.
  • The spring and fall are often the best times to see the aurora, because "the subtleties in the way the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere" can create larger geomagnetic storms.