If you’re in the greater New York or New Jersey area (or have been on social media in the past 24 hours) you’ve probably seen the incredible amount of posts from last night’s (October 10) Northern Lights display.
Unbelievable photos of aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights, poured in last night from Long Island to New Jersey to even Astoria, Queens!
Thanks to what’s called a geomagnetic storm, a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere that occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth.
Many of us lucky New Yorkers were able to see the incredible shades of purple and green without having to travel!
So, will I be able to see it again tonight in NYC?
Yes! According to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center the Northern Lights should once again be visible again tonight in NYC and surrounding areas!
What time can I see the Northern Lights in NYC tonight?
You should be able to see the Northern Lights in New York and New Jersey, just after sunset through sunrise Saturday morning!
Sunset tonight in New York City is around 6:20 pm, and sunrise tomorrow, Saturday morning is around 7:05 am.
Why are the Northern Lights visible in NYC?
The Northern Lights are visible in New York due to a unique disturbance in the Earth’s magnetosphere called geomagnetic storms.
In this case, a coronal mass ejection from the Sun (a huge gust of solar winds and magnetic fields) entered the planet’s magnetic field, causing them to collide with already existing particles in our atmosphere.
When all the particles collide, they emit light…in stunning colors of green, purple, red, and blues depending on what type of elements collide!
As a result, hues of color are able to be seen even with the naked eye!