Science & Nature
Northern Lights Could Be Visible This Week in Chicago as Solar Activity Heats Up
The Northern Lights were visible in the lower Midwest in May 2024. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)
The sun is at it again, kicking up a potentially major geomagnetic storm.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, an eruption of solar particles is headed toward Earth and the impact could be strong enough to make the aurora borealis visible in the lower Midwest, including northern Illinois, through Thursday.
The chances of seeing a dazzling aurora might be slim — “The northern lights maaaaaaaaaay be visible as far south as our area the next few nights,” is how the Chicago office of the National Weather Service phrased the odds — but for those who witnessed this past May's atmospheric display can attest, it’s worth looking skyward just in case.
Cloud cover could spoil any potential show. If the weather cooperates, try to find a place away from city lights to enjoy the best view.
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center)
Solar activity tends to rise and fall on 11-year cycles.
The sun is now nearing what’s known as “solar maximum,” or the highest rate of solar activity during its current cycle. Once it hits this peak, activity will take a gradual downturn toward solar minimum, or the lowest rate of solar activity.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
