Have you ever seen the Northern Lights? This magnificent natural light display is rarely seen from Rhode Island, unfortunately. But right now, you just might be in luck, thanks to a solar storm happening as we speak.
The Northern Lights are most often seen as vibrant green beams in the dark sky.
However, they can also be yellow, white, blue, violet, or even red. It all depends on the gasses in the atmosphere.
This week, you may be able to see this magical phenomenon from Rhode Island!
The Space Weather Prediction Center has issued geomagnetic storm watches beginning the night of Thursday, December 10, lasting through the weekend. This brief storm means the Northern Lights can be visible from North America.
Tonight, the lights may be visible anywhere above the green line on this map.
As you can see, on the East Coast, this means any state north of South Carolina has a chance.
The watches issued by the SWPC are a measure of the solar activity hitting our atmosphere.
That solar energy can result in the beautiful auroral displays visible at both of the Earth's poles. This is an extremely rare occurrence.
Since Rhody is such a small state, you've got a great shot of seeing the lights from just about anywhere, as long as you have access to dark, open sky.
If we do have visibility, our light show will be subtle. Still, it's fantastic to even have a shot at seeing them.
This year has been interesting, to say the least... but now we have a chance to end it on a beautiful note.
December 11th is the last night we're expected to have decent visibility, so try to get under the stars this evening, if you can.
Enjoy this rare experience, Rhode Island!
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