JACKSON, Wyo. — Northwestern Wyoming has a shot at seeing the Northern Lights on Tuesday night, April 15, if the clouds and moon cooperate.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center, a coronal mass ejection (CME) was detected by the service on Sunday, April 13. This could lead to a moderate geomagnetic storm, in which the resulting plasma interacts with upper levels of the earth’s atmosphere, generating the aurora.
The Kp index is projected to reach level six. Derived from the German “Planetarische Kennziffer,” or planetary index, the Kp scale runs from zero to nine.
As explained by Wyoming Stargazing, the Kp index “measures the disruption of the horizontal distribution of the geomagnetic activity…A value of zero means that even Fairbanks, Alaska would have difficulty in seeing the northern lights. One to three is most common, and that’s what is frequently seen in those northern latitudes of northern Canada and Alaska. A four would push them down into southern Canada, while a five, in the right conditions, might just barely be visible on the northern horizon here in Jackson Hole. To see them well, we typically need at least a six.”
NOAA forecasts the aurora’s “view line” as passing through the Cowboy State, potentially just north of Jackson. The valley would be right on the cusp of visibility, but Yellowstone National Park visitors might have a fair chance at a good light show.
Tonight’s forecast suggests partly cloudy skies over Jackson, with a 94% full moon. Conditions might not be ideal for aurora views, unfortunately. If the lights are hard to spot tonight, revisit these photos from an epic aurora performance last spring.
