The Northern Lights could return to the skies over parts of Canada as a sunspot that recently contributed to a stunning aurora rotates back toward Earth.
A sunspot that triggered a series of solar flares earlier this month — the largest in nearly two decades — turned back toward Earth this week, unleashing another powerful but less intense flare.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which rates geomagnetic storms on a five-point scale, is forecasting a moderate Category G2 storm that will peak on Friday, compared to a severe Category G4 storm in early May.
NOAA’s aurora forecast for Friday night shows the line of sight, the southernmost extent from which the Northern Lights could be seen, extending across the Toronto area and through the Atlantic region around Moncton, NB.
The forecast shows a low probability of seeing the Northern Lights on a route from Vancouver via Winnipeg to Thunder Bay (Ontario). The probability is higher in the northern parts of the provinces and territories.
Space Weather Canada also issued a comprehensive geomagnetic storm warning for the so-called aurora zone, a band that covers large parts of the territories and northern parts of the provinces.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2024.
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