JACKSON, Wyo. — According to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, the Northern Lights are forecasted to have high activity with visibility on the horizon as far south as Cheyenne, Wyoming, on July 13.
The Kp index will be at six; the scale goes up to nine and anything above five is considered a geomagnetic storm. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere due to an exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space surrounding Earth.
NOAA says the different colors of the aurora borealis are produced “when different atmospheric atoms and molecules are excited to various energy levels.” The most common auroral color is a pale green that results from atomic oxygen.
NOAA’s tips for viewing the Northern Lights
- The best time to view is usually within an hour or two of midnight, between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
- Visibility for low horizon activity will increase at higher elevations.
- Get as far away from light pollution as possible.
The Moon phase for July 13 will be a waning crescent, allowing an even better chance to see the Northern Lights without light from a fuller moon diminishing the apparent brightness of the aurora.
April was the last time the Northern Lights were visible over Jackson Hole. Learn more about the mythologies associated with them here.
