The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, were predicted to be visible in the United States on March 25, 2024, between 11 PM and 12 AM. Though this astronomical spectacle, brought on by solar activity, is typical to see in parts of the northern hemisphere, March’s auroras became visible much further south than typical. This included Washington, Wisconsin, New York, Northern California and Alabama.
Astronomers attributed March’s widespread auroras to extreme solar activity. In particular, the events were due to a particularly impactful geomagnetic storm, in which the sun ejects part of its magnetic field and plasma material from its surface. This magnetic expulsion, or solar flare, interferes with the magnetic field of the earth itself, producing electric currents. These magnetic disturbances are directly responsible for the occurrence of auroras.
“The northern lights are created when charged particles (electrons and protons) from the sun’s solar flares interact with the earth’s magnetic field, and collide with gasses in earth’s upper atmosphere,” science teacher Dr. Lapiano-Smith said.
Though the auroras were visible across a vast range of the United States, most NHP residents were unable to observe them from their homes. This may be attributed to artificial light pollution, which obscures many astronomical features in the night sky. The high levels of artificial light in New York City and Long Island hindered the visibility of these auroras in the area. When it comes to light pollution there are several types. In particular, a type of light pollution known as “sky glow” is responsible for this, as it involves the brightening of the night sky through the harsh lighting of urban areas.
“The fact that New York is significantly more urbanized than parts of Alabama explains why it would be more difficult to view the aurora borealis from here,” freshman Alan Aphraim said.
Interestingly, the resultant auroras from March’s solar activity differed slightly in color based on geographic location. Based on images, countries in Europe mainly saw shades of violet while areas in the USA saw shades of blue-green along with the violet. The differences in color may be explained by the different gasses which interact with the solar emissions, as different gasses emit different colors under these circumstances.
“I have only seen photos of aurora borealis and I think it would be amazing to experience in person,” art teacher Ms. Livoti said. “It seems like it would be one of those sublime moments, where you get an opportunity to feel the vastness of the universe and experience something bigger than you are, that can fill you with wonder.”
“It is insane that, one day the only significant object in the night sky is the moon, but another day there can be waves of different colors,” freshman Bella Bodenhorn said. “Many details, such as density and composition, can be learned about Earth’s high atmosphere from auroras. No matter what or how, the northern lights give the world a reason to be amazed.”
