Canadians across the country could catch a glimpse of the northern lights tonight, so make sure to look up.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a high chance of the aurora borealis being visible across Canada on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
The northern lights are forecasted to be particularly intense over northern and western Canada tonight.
Northern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and the territories are likely to get a front-row seat to the light show, aided by clear and dark skies.
The “viewline,” which represents the southernmost locations from which you can see the northern lights, shows that Canadians in southern Ontario and Quebec could also see the sky light up with ribbons of green and blue.
The northern lights are expected to be the most intense between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. EDT, according to the NOAA.
NOAA
Last October, Canadians on the West Coast were treated to a brilliant display of light. Although the aurora is best seen in areas with less light pollution, many sky gazers in places like Metro Vancouver were able to capture it on their phones.
Daily Hive spoke with Dr. Rosanna Tilbrook, an astronomer at Vancouver’s H.R. Macmillan Space Centre, in June about the increasing frequency of northern lights activity in Canada. She said that there has been a “general increase” in the past year because the sun is at “the peak of its activity.”
“This fluctuates on an 11-year cycle, and right now, it’s close to maximum,” stated Tilbrook.
“This means that more charged particles are being flung into space, and it’s these particles which cause the aurora when they interact with Earth’s atmosphere.”
So, luckily for skywatchers, the northern lights show tonight may not be the last of the year.