Cochrane residents may want to keep an eye on the night sky tonight, as a strong geomagnetic storm could bring the northern lights back to southern Alberta.
The display is being fueled by several powerful bursts of solar energy known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, that were recently launched from the sun and are now racing toward Earth. Scientists say two of those solar eruptions could even combine into what’s known as a “cannibal CME,” a phenomenon that can supercharge aurora activity.
The U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center is forecasting a G3, or strong, geomagnetic storm beginning tonight.
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What causes the Northern Lights?
When charged particles from the sun collide with Earth’s magnetic field, they create the colourful dancing lights known as the aurora borealis. While northern Alberta is usually the best place to see them, strong solar storms can push the display much farther south.
Skywatchers hoping to catch the show should head away from city lights and look north after dark. Even if the lights aren’t visible to the naked eye, smartphone cameras can sometimes pick up the colours more clearly.
As always with aurora forecasts, there are no guarantees, but conditions are lining up for what could be a spectacular night over Cochrane.