JACKSON, Wyo. — A severe geomagnetic storm was detected following a coronal mass ejection (large clouds of plasma and magnetic fields emitted by the Sun), leading some lucky Wyomingites to catch the aurora borealis in the wee hours of Monday, Aug. 12.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center observed “a major disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field” overnight. The National Weather Service’s (NWS) Riverton office shared a photo of the Northern Lights as viewed from its latitude.
As of 11 a.m. Monday morning, the storm intensity has been downgraded to G3, still considered “strong.” This suggest the possibility of viewing the Northern Lights in the very early hours of Tuesday, Aug. 13, but a waxing moon might affect visibility, and lingering wildfire smoke in Jackson could also be a factor.
An aurora model by NOAA forecasts the aurora’s “view line” as passing through the Cowboy State, with Jackson in cuspy territory. Visitors in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks might have the best luck.
“For best viewing, get away from light pollution, let your eyes adjust to the dark and look to the north,” NWS Riverton posted on Facebook. “Through the wildfire smoke, it may just look like a fuzzy purple or green glow, but it can be viewed more clearly through a camera with long exposure (most newer model smart phones have this feature).”
Stargazers should also keep an eye out for shooting stars. The Perseid meteor shower peaked last night, and will continue to wind down through the rest of August.
