Northern Lights Could Be Visible In NYC This Weekend

NEW YORK – A rare chance to see the stunning northern lights could come to New York City this weekend due to a geomagnetic storm, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The best opportunity to see the aurora borealis, a dancing display of brilliant shades of green and pink, are on Saturday and Sunday.

Though the show is more likely to be seen in sites further north, some cities to the south – including NYC – have a "legitimate shot," according to forecasters.

The science behind the northern lights is complicated — all you really need to know is that they are jaw-droppingly beautiful. Basically, they become visible to the human eyes when electrons from solar storms collide with the upper reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere.

In normal circumstances, the Earth’s magnetic field guides the electrons in such a way that the aurora forms two ovals approximately centered at the magnetic poles. But during geomagnetic storms, the ovals expand away from the poles and give some lucky people in the United States a sky show they’ll never forget.

Most often, the auroras appear as tall rays that look like a colorful curtain made of folds of cloth, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

“During the evening these rays form arcs that stretch from horizon to horizon,” the agency said.

“Late in the evening, near midnight, the arcs often begin to twist and sway, just as if a wind were blowing on the curtains of light. At some point, the arcs may expand to fill the whole sky, moving rapidly and becoming very bright. This is the peak of what is called an auroral substorm.”

Reported by Beth Dalbey/Patch