Last week, the northern half of the US saw its strongest aurora borealis since June, and the green and purple light show in the sky is back for another round. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting that an aurora will hit the northern half of the US on the evening of Nov. 12, and it'll reach around 25 states. If you missed it due to cloud cover last week, or couldn't spot it last night, you'll have a second chance to see it on Wednesday.
Per NOAA, this aurora comes to Earth courtesy of yet another X-Class solar flare that erupted a couple of days ago. X-Class flares are at the top of the spectrum, making them the strongest.
The aurora coming on Nov. 12 is caused by yet another coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun, and this one should be a doozy. NOAA updated its prediction late Tuesday night to show that a G4 storm with a Kp 8 rating will hit at midday Wednesday and continue into Wednesday evening. Thanks to the earlier sunset afforded by the end of daylight saving time, that will give you a chance to see an even bigger aurora right after sunset.
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Where will the aurora be visible?
With a G4 storm, the aurora is predicted to be visible in Washington, Idaho, Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and, of course, Alaska. With a high enough viewing point, dark skies and some luck, the aurora may also be visible in Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Oklahoma, Colorado and Utah. Canada will have the best view overall.
Much like regular weather here on Earth, these are predictions. The actual aurora may be weaker or stronger depending on how the solar flare interacts with the Earth's geomagnetic field. Nov. 11's aurora, for instance, was upgraded to a G4 storm that reached as far south as Alabama. Should you be just a bit too far south for NOAA's predictions, it's still worth going outside to look since the geomagnetic storms may be stronger than anticipated.
Aurora viewing tips
Viewing an aurora is pretty straightforward. No matter where you are, you'll want to drive away from the city and suburbs to somewhere dark in order to get the best view.
If you are along the southern reaches of NOAA's prediction area, you'll also want to get up high and point yourself north. You won't need any instruments to see it, since it'll be visible to the naked eye. Photographers have also had good luck catching the aurora by taking a picture with a long exposure time, giving the camera ample time to take in the light from the aurora.