SPOKANE, Wash. — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center projected an aurora borealis would be visible in much of the Inland Northwest Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
Geomagnetic storms, which produce the unique lights in the sky, can disturb Global Positioning Systems (GPS), impacting satellites, the electric power grid and High Frequency (HF) radio communication used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Defense.
An Aurora Borealis happens when electrons crash into the Earth’s atmosphere. Those electrons become energized at night, and then crash into oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules, creating energy that releases in the form of neon light.
With clouds clearing, Eastern Washington and North Idaho could see a spectacular light show Tuesday night.
Tips on viewing the Northern Lights
Find a place where you can see to the north, like on top of a hill.Get away from city lights. Viewing is best within an hour or two of midnight (between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. PDT)Your phone can see better than you can. Set your phone’s camera to night mode or long-exposure. You’ll be surprised what you can see!
According to the NOAA, the Northern Lights may be seen as far south as Utah, the California-Oregon border and even in parts of Tennessee. It may be seen across much of the northern portion of the United States.
The last time the Inland Northwest saw the Northern Lights was May 24, 2024.
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