MOLINE, Ill. — The Northern Lights visited Illinois, Iowa and the Quad Cities region Friday night and Saturday morning. Check out some of the best photos submitted to News 8 from the viewers!
Northern Lights electrify the Midwestern skies
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday upgraded a geomagnetic solar storm watch from Level 3 ("moderate") to the "severe" Level 4. The last time a severe warning was issued was in 2005.
NOAA is calling this an unusual event, pointing out that the flares seem to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the diameter of Earth. An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003 took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.
On Friday night or Saturday morning, the particles are expected to reach earth. These particles have the potential to generate northern lights when they arrive at our planet, gracing watchers with ethereal curtains of multicolored light usually only seen in the far north.
In fact, according to the National Weather Service, much of the northern United States may be in line to see the northern lights this weekend, including Iowa and Illinois. Of course, that's all depending on the weather. Geomagnetic activity predictions from NOAA indicate northern states near the border of Canada are much more likely to easily see visible displays of light.
The northern lights should appear as a faint greenish glow which may appear to dance as it gets more active. Occasionally, other colors such as pink or red, will also be visible.
This could also be the best chance to see the northern lights in the Quad Cities region for a while. It's rare for such a strong solar storm to hit the earth, and they're unpredictable, meaning it could be years before anything like this happens again — and it may be even longer before a solar storm peaks at night, which makes viewing the northern lights much easier.
Best time to see the Northern Lights in Iowa, Illinois
According to the Kp Index, which measures the strength of solar storms, the best time to view the Aurora Borealis in the Quad Cities is between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. Friday night. A Kp Index of 7 is usually needed to view the Northern Lights in the Quad Cities region. The forecasted Kp Index for the region is 8.
Where to see the Northern Lights in Iowa, Illinois
According to the National Weather Service Quad Cities, at 12 a.m. Friday night, cloud coverage will be at 41% in the Quad Cities, 50% in Galesburg and 48% in Burlington. Cloud coverage will decrease after midnight, allowing for a clearer view of the Northern Lights. View the NWS map linked below to view forecasted cloud coverage for your area.
For the best viewing experience, News 8 Meteorologist Andrew Stutzke said that residents in the Quad Cities and other metro areas will want to leave the city and find a dark rural location away from city lights.
Northern Lights with the Quad Cities Astronomical Society
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