Best time to watch with possible visible phenomenon – NBC Chicago

Although cloud cover on both Thursday and Friday contributed to blocking the view of the Northern Lights for many in the Chicago area, Saturday evening offers another opportunity to see the spectacular phenomenon.

The rare chance comes thanks to a G3 geomagnetic storm observation caused by a series of coronal mass ejections from the Sun earlier this week.

Here's what you should know about your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis this weekend:

When can you see the Northern Lights in Chicago?

According to the National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center, a G3 geomagnetic storm warning is in effect for several days following a series of solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) earlier this week, making the aurora borealis visible over a wide swath could of the United States.

The NBC 5 Storm Team reported a solar flare Thursday morning that was the largest since 2017. Although not all solar flares are followed by CMEs, this one was.

The storm watch is in effect until Sunday.

When is the best time to watch?

The best time to see the Northern Lights might be as soon as it gets dark after sunset, as geomagnetic activity peaks between 4:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m

Although the potential line of sight extends south of Chicago, the aurora borealis may not be as strong, meaning using a phone camera could be a better way to see it, according to officials.

What are the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are moving waves of light that can be seen in the night sky.

According to SWPC, CMEs are “large explosions of plasma and magnetized particles from the solar corona.” These ejections increase in size as they approach Earth's atmosphere and can trigger geomagnetic storms when they arrive.

The Northern Lights occur when these charged particles collide with the Earth's magnetic field, interacting with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere and producing bright and wavy colors in the sky.

The Northern Lights are generally only visible at high altitudes, but cases like this week's geomagnetic storm can cause these particles to be visible over greater distances.