Northern lights could be visible tonight if hazy skies clear up

COLUMBUS (WCMH) -- A powerful eruption from the sun's surface early on June 1 sent charged particles streaming toward Earth at more than four million miles per hour, which could provide a view of the northern lights across portions of the United States and Canada Sunday night, and possibly Monday night.

The best time to look for the shimmering display of color is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. near the northern horizon if you reside in a more rural area with darker skies away from city lights. However, smoke from the Canadian wildfires may preclude the view in some areas of the country, including here in central Ohio.

The geomagnetic storm reached the level of G4 Sunday morning on a scale of 1 (minor) to 5 (extreme), which brings a higher likelihood of seeing the northern lights farther south than usual, in places such as northern California, Illinois, and the northern Mid-Atlantic region.

What causes the northern lights

A coronal mass ejection (CME) sends electrically charged particles (ions) and magnetic material streaming into space, generating currents in the magnetic field. When the solar wind collides with Earth's magnetic field (magnetosphere), the interaction with gases (oxygen, nitrogen) in the upper atmosphere produces streaks or curtains of light, known as the aurora borealis in the Northern Hemisphere.

The most common color arising from collisions between solar particles (atoms) and oxygen molecules is green, because the red veils occur higher up in the atmosphere and are harder to view. Nitrogen interactions at lower altitudes trigger blue curtains of light.

Last year on May 10, a G4 storm triggered spectacular views of the northern lights in parts of central Ohio. Another view of the northern lights occurred on Oct. 10, 2024, but was much more limited in our area.

Severe geomagnetic storms can affect high-frequency communications, disrupting GPS systems and low-frequency satellite navigation signals. In extreme events, the CME voltage can impact the electric energy or power grid, resulting in regional blackouts.