Another Chance to See the Northern Lights in Ohio

Aurora forecast for Saturday, May 11, 2024

Best time to see: Late tonight

If you missed out on seeing the aurora borealis in Ohio on Friday night, don't worry - there may be another chance to see them tonight. The aurora forecast for Saturday, May 11, 2024, as of 5 pm NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, shows a viewline that represents the southern-most locations from which you may see the aurora on the northern horizon. This product is based on the NOAA/SWPC real-time 3-hour forecast of the Kp index.

The best time to see the aurora is late tonight, between 11 pm and 2 am. To improve your chances of seeing the aurora, find a location with dark skies and as little light pollution as possible. You may also want to consider using a camera with a long exposure setting to capture the best images.

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is a natural light display in the Earth's sky, primarily visible at high latitude regions. Auroras are produced when the magnetosphere is sufficiently disturbed by the solar wind. These disturbances are caused by a solar wind that contains an increased density of charged particles. These particles enter the magnetosphere from the solar wind and collide with gas molecules in the high-altitude atmosphere, causing the ionization or excitation of these molecules. The ionized molecules return to their ground state, releasing energy in the form of photons.

The color of the aurora depends on the type of gas molecules that are ionized. Nitrogen molecules produce a greenish-yellow color, while oxygen molecules produce a reddish color. The aurora can also appear in other colors, such as blue, purple, and pink.

The aurora borealis is a beautiful and awe-inspiring sight. If you have the opportunity to see the aurora, be sure to take advantage of it!