Northern Lights May Be Seen In NYC This Week

NEW YORK CITY — If the conditions are just right, lucky New Yorkers may be treated to a rare sight this week: the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, lighting up the sky.

According to the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, a geometric storm watch is in effect through Friday, but the height of the storm is expected on Thursday.

An aurora is created when charged particles from the sun interact with the earth's magnetic field. It is usually confined to the poles, but events like this can create a stronger aurora that reaches more toward the equator than usual.

If the Northern Lights do reach the NYC area, it probably won't be the waving colorful bands in the sky that people associated with them. Because of how far south New York is, we're more likely to get faint green glows, according to News 12.

In addition, light pollution in the area could make the lights impossible to see all together. Finding a dark enough spot is particularly challenging for New York City dwellers.

Other factors for seeing the aurora include the weather, though it's predicted to be reasonably clear Thursday night, and when the particles from the sun hit the earth. If the peak of the solar storm is during the day, then we won't see anything.

If you do plan on trying to catch a glimpse, keep an eye on the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Geophysical Institute short-term aurora forecast: http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast.