LOUISVILLE, Ky. — We are in luck tonight because the Northern Lights (also called Aurora Borealis) will be viewable from central Kentucky and southern Indiana.
Usually the Northern Lights are only able to be viewed in northern climates, but sometimes the conditions are all in place for us to get lucky and be able to see them!
What are the Northern Lights?
The Northern Lights are a gorgeous and colorful site in our sky during the nighttime hours. It occurs when charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's atmosphere. The "solar wind" carries the particles towards Earth from the sun.
Usually, solar flares and other solar activity triggers the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights happen when a "magnetic storm" is on display and the solar particles interact with Earth's magnetic field.
Below are a few examples of how the Northern Lights look:
Who has the best chance to see them?
According to NOAA, the best areas of the United States to view the Northern Lights are anywhere from the Upper Midwest to Great Lakes and the Northern Rockies.
Louisville and the rest of central Kentucky and southern Indiana are in a "low" chance to see the Northern Lights. Overall, a clear sky Thursday night will keep us in favor of seeing them at times.
The Northern Lights are easiest to view outside of the city (usually in rural locations) and away from city lights and city light pollution. Unfortunately, lights make it tough to view the natural phenomenon from Mother Nature. The best chance one has to see the Aurora Borealis will be if you live in southern Indiana tonight and outside of city limits.
Those in Kentucky can still potentially view the Northern Lights, but the rule of thumb is the further north you are, the better chance you will have.
I summary, if you live on the outskirts of Louisville or in the countryside get those cameras ready!
Make sure you take as many photos as you can even if you cannot see them with the naked eye. Sometimes, the Northern Lights are so sensitive that they are only visible with cameras instead of easily visible with our eyes. Therefore, in this case, phone cameras can do as much, if not more justice than with your eyes!
Why do northern climates see the Northern Lights more often?
The particles that are reflected from the sun and into Earth's upper atmosphere accelerate towards the poles more often. That is why they are usually more visible in the higher latitudes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
If you are in awe of tonight's Northern Lights then that is more of a reason to book a vacation on a clear forecast during the change of Summer to Fall or Winter to Spring to pick up a good viewing of the Northern Lights.
