Topline A geomagnetic storm starts Friday and lasts into the weekend, so experts predict there may be a chance to see the Northern Lights further down into the continental U.S.—alongside the Perseid meteor shower that peaks this weekend.
Northern lights over the Pyhae Luosto National Park in northern Finnland. Key Facts Friday night’s aurora borealis has a Kp index of six, meaning the lights will move even further from the poles and become “quite bright and active,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A group of coronal mass ejections—eruptions of solar material—were released by some overactive sunspots Wednesday and Thursday, and they’re expected to appear this weekend.
The coronal mass ejections that were released Wednesday are estimated to arrive on Earth between Friday night and Saturday morning, while the ejection that left Thursday may arrive Sunday night. NOAA extended its moderate G2 geomagnetic storm watch that ran from Friday to Saturday to include Sunday, so there may be a chance to see the Northern Lights alongside the Perseid meteor shower, which is expected to peak between Sunday night and Monday morning. The sun is still “littered” with active sunspots that have a history of creating minor to moderate m-class solar flares, so there’s a 75% chance for m-class flares over the weekend, with a slight chance of strong x-class flares, according to NOAA.
Solar activity has been unusually busy in recent months as the su.