NYC Northern Lights: Did You See Them Last Night? Here's What You Need to Know About Tonight's Show

NYC Northern Lights: A Rare Show in the Skies

New Yorkers were treated to a dazzling display of the aurora borealis on Thursday night, thanks to a powerful geomagnetic storm from the sun. Reports of colorful auroras flooded in from Boston to New York City, Washington, DC, and even as far south as the Southeast.

Did you miss the show? There's a chance for more celestial fireworks tonight!

What caused the Northern Lights?

The aurora borealis is caused by disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere, often triggered by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun.

These massive bursts of solar wind and magnetic fields interact with our planet's magnetic field, causing charged solar particles to collide with gases in Earth's atmosphere. This collision causes the gases to emit light, creating the vibrant colors we see in the aurora. Oxygen creates green and red hues, while nitrogen contributes to purples and blues.

Can we see the Northern Lights tonight?

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center forecasts that the solar storm will continue through Friday.

The aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth just after sunset or just before sunrise. It's not visible during daylight hours.

Keep your eyes peeled tonight!

What impact do these storms have?

CMEs can cause interference with radios and satellites, and in some cases, can affect the power grid. The SWPC has been in contact with FEMA and state agencies involved in disaster recovery efforts as these storms could impact ongoing work across the Southeast from Hurricanes Milton and Helene.

Geomagnetic storms can affect the power grid, as well as GPS and radio blackouts and impacts on satellites.

Learn More

For more information about the aurora borealis and the current forecast, visit the NOAA website here.