Tonight, April 15, 2025, Western Washington will have a unique opportunity to see the captivating northern lights due to a Geomagnetic Storm Watch. Multiple solar outbursts over the weekend created the storm. This storm may light up the sky over the region and provide a breathtaking aurora borealis spectacle.
The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, usually appear closer to the poles. However, strong geomagnetic storms allow them to be seen at much lower latitudes. A coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun sent bursts of charged particles toward Earth. As a result, residents of Western Washington, parts of Oregon, and the lower Midwest may experience an extraordinary light show. Since the aurora is more likely to emerge in the north, the best viewing locations are distant from city lights.
What Is the Geomagnetic Storm? A geomagnetic storm occurs when solar energy from the sun interacts with the earth’s magnetic field. The outcome is a spectacular display of light in the high atmosphere. These solar storms have the potential to disrupt communication and GPS systems in addition to producing auroras. The storms are rated from G1 to G5, with G5 being the strongest on the scale. According to the prediction, there may be aurora sightings throughout Wednesday night during a moderate to intense storm.
How to Spot the Northern Lights To increase your chances of seeing the aurora, head to a remote area away from artificial light, such as city lights or street lamps. Check the weather forecast before you go since the optimum circumstances for seeing the northern lights will be clear sky. Moonlight can obstruct vision, thus it is preferable to observe the exhibit when the moon is not full.
Intense storms can produce uncommon hues like pink, purple, and even red, especially in higher latitudes, even though green auroras are typical. Use your phone’s camera to record the colors if you can’t see the lights with your unaided eye because these gadgets can frequently detect light before our eyes do.
Source: Komo News