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Look up! Northern lights possible tonight ‘as far south as Alabama’
Sure it’s the middle of winter…. but for hardy skywatchers tonight (Jan. 19-20) might be a banner night to spot the aurora borealis across a huge chunk of the country.
A geomagnetic storm expected to hit the Northern Hemisphere overnight will increase the possibility of the aurora borealis being visible “over much of the northern half of the country and as far south as Alabama to northern California,” according to the Space Weather Prediction Center.
What is a geomagnetic storm?
A geomagnetic storm is the result of a coronal mass ejection (CME), which is an eruption of solar material and magnetic fields from the sun. When a CME arrives at Earth, a geomagnetic storm can result. Watches at this level are “very rare,” the Space Weather Prediction Center said.
Aurora borealis forecast: When will the northern lights be visible?
The aurora borealis is only expected to be widely visible in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Jan. 20. Geomagnetic activity is expected to return to normal levels by Tuesday night.
G4 watch issued
A G4 “severe” geomagnetic storm watch was issued by the Space Weather Prediction Center on Jan. 19. This means that in addition to creating the aurora, the storm could impact power systems, spacecraft operations and satellite and radio navigation.
“Detrimental impacts to some of our critical infrastructure technology are possible, but mitigation is possible,” the prediction center said.
The geomagnetic storm scale goes from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).
The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, light up the night sky Nov. 11 east of Denver, Colorado. A powerful geomagnetic solar storm in November blasted Earth and created the conditions necessary to reveal the auroras much further south in the United States than is typical.
How to take photos of the aurora
The best way to take photos of the northern lights on a smartphone is by adjusting the exposure time and enabling night mode.
According to Travelfoss, to get the best image, you should adjust your iPhone to capture more light. Night mode will automatically turn on, which allows the camera sensor to stay open for 1 to 3 seconds, depending on the light. For the best image of the aurora, you should adjust that setting to its maximum of 10 seconds (or 30 seconds if you’re using a tripod).
If there’s too much ambient light, night mode might let in too much and overexpose your photos. To combat that, you might need to modify the exposure adjustment setting, per Travelfoss.
More: Taking photos of the northern lights with your smartphone? Tips to get the best picture
Contributing: Brian Smith, Des Moines Register; David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Northern lights possible tonight ‘as far south as Alabama’