As the nights get longer and darker, Moose Jaw-area skywatchers will have more opportunities to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis.
Abigail Sadowski, resident astronomer at Kalium Observatory, said the northern lights can be unpredictable, but there are resources that can help people know when conditions are favourable.
“We did recently have some really good ones that I could even see while I was in Cypress Hills about a week or two ago,” Sadowski said.
The aurora is caused by charged particles interacting with Earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere.
When geomagnetic activity increases, Sadowski said, the auroral oval can expand farther south, making the northern lights visible to more people.
Checking the aurora forecast
One of the resources Sadowski recommends is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.
She said the website, spaceweather.gov, can look overwhelming at first, but people can watch the G scale, which measures the strength of geomagnetic storms.
The scale ranges from G1, considered minor, to G5, which is classified as extreme.
“Generally speaking, the stronger the storm is, the better the chance that we’ll have aurora, and they’ll be visible farther south,” Sadowski said.
NOAA also provides an aurora forecast map showing where auroral activity is expected, including short-term forecasts based on current conditions.
Related Stories:
- Autumnal equinox marks start of fall on Sept. 22
- September offers prime planet views for local stargazers
- Observatory invites public to explore night sky during free September events
- Near-total lunar eclipse to be visible from Saskatchewan in August
- ▶️ Stream this news story: SUN 102, Country 106.1, CJ1150
Finding a dark sky
For the best chance of seeing the northern lights, Sadowski recommends getting away from city lights and finding a location with a clear view toward the north.
“However, when the storms do get really strong, I’ve seen it where they are everywhere and so bright it can be even seen in the city,” she said.
She also recalled seeing an aurora formation that looked like a picket fence, a phenomenon she said can occur during strong displays.