If you happen to live in the charming region known as Michiana (overlapping portions of southwestern Michigan and northern Indiana), make sure to step outside tonight to catch the Northern Lights in your own backyard. As reported by WSBT-TV, a strong geomagnetic storm will hit tonight and tomorrow, pushing the colorful aurora towards Michiana from its usual polar position. Thanks, storm!
The television station recommends that the best viewing is from a ‘dark, outlying place,’ which sounds mysterious and James Bond-ish, but you residents of Michiana know where those spots are. In general, look for places where light pollution won’t interfere. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the storm will hit in the early hours of August 18, and when it does, Aurora Borealis can possibly be seen across all of Michigan.
In general, summer isn’t the best season for catching Aurora Borealis, the official name for the Northern Lights. Darker skies provide better viewing, and summer is known for lighter skies, according to Space.com. Clouds can also block the beautiful display from being seen.
Michiana residents have been lucky to have viewings in the last few years as solar flares have sent high energy particles towards Earth farther south than usual, making folks run for their cameras. If you want to track your geographic area’s likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights, download the My Aurora app.
Fun fact: If you’ve looked at photos of the Northern Lights online and been astonished, there’s a good reason for that. Cameras have more photo receptors than our eyes; some spectators say the Northern Lights can actually appear gray in real life rather than the eerie, otherworldly glowing greens and pinks you’ll see in photographs. You’ll see a more jaw-dropping Aurora Borealis if you have good vision and if you stay put for a while, since the lights can deepen and appear more impressive as the night darkens.
Want to see gorgeous photos people took of the Northern Lights in March? Click here.