It ’s been an eventful yr for sky - gazers in the northerly U.S. Thenorthern lights — a phenomenon that ’s normally trammel to the Arctic circle — appear above the country ’s northern margin inMarch 2019 , and then again at the beginning ofSeptember . If Michigan residents missed those two light appearance in 2019 , they ’ll possibly have another chance to entrance the light on September 27 and September 28,MLivereports .
What causes the northern lights?
Thenorthern lights , or aurora borealis , are induce by molecule from the Lord’s Day reacting to mote in our major planet ’s atmosphere , " exciting " the gases and pee them release photons . At northerly latitudes , where magnetic vigour and therefore solar energy is the strongest , the reaction is intense enough to produce colourful wave of visible light that are seeable from the ground .
Occasionally , the sun wallops the Earth with enough solar particles to activate this reaction farther south . The Space Weather Prediction Center projects a G1 - G2 geomagnetic storm for this week , with the solar activity potentially producing daybreak across most of Michigan .
When to see the northern lights
AG1 solar stormis expected to reach the satellite on September 27 . By September 28 , experts predict it will have evolve into a G2 - grade storm . So if you plan to be in Michigan this calendar week , Friday and Saturday are the safe Night to see the lights . The northerly ignitor are more common over the northern one-half of the province than the southern part , but in this pillow slip , nearly everyone in Michigan should have a slam at catching the spectacle . If it ’s showery or turbid in your field — as is project for some place in Michigan this weekend — the lights will be operose to see . You will also be disappointed if you look up from Detroit , Grand Rapids , or any other metro area with substantial light pollution in the state .
[ h / tMLive ]
