Northern lights could be back in Massachusetts tonight, forecast map shows potential for a major aurora display

BOSTON – The Northern lights could put on another show in Massachusetts tonight and Friday night, according to the latest Aurora forecast. You could say New England is becoming the “new Iceland.”

Over the past few months, the Sun has been incredibly active, releasing a series of coronal mass ejections from its surface.

The last week or so has been one of the most active periods we have seen in years. Over the past few nights, people across New England have been spotting the Northern Lights. The geomagnetic storm responsible for these breathtaking views is now subsiding.

But it's not over yet. Another massive CME occurred on Tuesday. This emanated from a giant sunspot (AR3848) pointed directly at Earth.

Warning of severe geomagnetic storms

Space weather researchers have issued a “G4 Severe Geomagnetic Storm Warning” for Thursday and Friday.

This has the potential to be another major Northern Lights event, perhaps even close to the stunning May 10th event.

Space weather models agree that this rapid, coronal mass ejection will hit Earth's atmosphere tonight and last up to 12 hours.

Although auroras can never be guaranteed, our chances tonight are higher than ever when it comes to aurora forecasts.

What causes the Northern Lights and the Aurora Borealis?

Meteorologist Jacob Wycoff explained what causes the Northern Lights earlier this year when the Aurora Borealis lit up breathtaking display over the region in May after a sunspot sent electrons toward Earth.

“What happened is that these electrons interacted with our atmosphere,” he explained. “And depending on the element and the altitude at which they interacted with the atmosphere, we got the colors from that.”

The extent of storm activity is measured using a so-called “K-index”. To have a chance of seeing the Northern Lights in New England, we typically need a K-index of 7 or higher.

Northern lights forecast

The current forecast for tonight is 8-9, near the top of the table.

If the geomagnetic storm arrives as predicted, northern lights can be seen as far south as Texas. Certainly anyone living in the northern part of the United States would have a good chance tonight.

The weather forecast couldn't be better. Any clouds that form today are expected to clear after sunset and we expect mostly clear skies across New England through the night.

As a reminder: If possible, look for a location with as little artificial light as possible and a clear view of the night sky.

And as always, we would love for you to take photos and be happy to see and share them. Send them to [email protected]

Solar radiation may have torn the comet's tail

Finally, check out this amazing image from a SOHO spacecraft currently orbiting the sun.

Notably, it captured the massive CME AND Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS!

Scientists believe it is possible that the powerful solar explosion tore off part of the comet's tail. Only time will tell when the comet comes back into view on the western horizon this weekend.