Oak Hill, WV (WOAY-TV): The Aurora Borealis is expected to be active through Tuesday.
The reason…a moderate Geomagnetic Storm Watch is in effect from a lingering CME, a coronal mass ejection. This event tends to produce the Aurora Borealis from the plasma and magnetic fields that emanate from the sun’s corona. The northern lights will definitely be seen across the Northern Plains and Canada.
The index, which is a threshold as to how far south the northern lights can be seen, is forecast to be 5. When the northern lights were visible across West Virginia on Sunday, the kP index got as high as 7; the threshold for our area to see them. Right now the index is at 5. If it fluctuates a bit higher early or late on Tuesday, we will be able to see the northern lights.
You have to escape the city lights to be able to see the spectacle across the sky.
What can we expect going forward? We are in a very active sunspot cycle that will persist through 2024. This is the cycle needed to produce occasional episodes of the Aurora Borealis across the northern latitudes.
Ronda from Mount Lookout took a picture of the Aurora Borealis on Sunday evening.
Another picture showcasing the light display was sent in from Summersville Lake.
