Can you see the Aurora this weekend?

A major solar storm is going to impact the northern part of the United States this weekend.  The strength of the storm will send the Aurora well south into southeastern Wisconsin.


While Aurora forecasting is a tricky science, it looks like the best chance to see the Aurora will be late Saturday night and again on Sunday night.  With a new moon the conditions should be pretty good; however, the biggest impact will be the clouds.

We are expecting clouds Saturday night into Sunday morning, and that could create viewing issues.  The best chance for viewing will be late Sunday night into Monday morning.

Get away from city lights and let your eyes adjust.  Focus on the northern horizon for the best viewing!  The best time to watch for aurora is the three or four hours around midnight, but aurora occurs throughout the night. Active auroral displays tend to be more diffuse and fragmented later in the night, which means that 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. is typically the time period with the highest probability of seeing them.



Share this article: