Northern Lights Could Be Visible In RI This Weekend

The enchanting northern lights, one of nature's greatest marvels, might be visible here in Rhode Island this weekend. Americans as far south as the Plains could have the opportunity to see the natural wonder on Friday night and during the weekend, though it's far more likely in northern states close to the Canadian border. The aurora borealis display of the colorful, dancing lights is possible due to a solar flare on the surface of the sun Wednesday that could produce a geomagnetic storm.

The science behind the colorful blue, green, purple and red northern lights is a bit complicated — all you really need to know is that they are so beautiful they will make your jaw drop in awe. But 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.

SHOW US: If you're lucky enough to see the northern lights, pop your picture up here.

Most often, the auroras initially appear as tall rays that look like a colorful curtain made of folds of cloth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center. "During the evening these rays form arcs that stretch from horizon to horizon," the agency said on its website. "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."

Using this helpful map from NOAA's Systems Engineering System, you can see that Rhode Island has a pretty good chance of seeing the northern lights this weekend. Looking at the blue, yellow, green and red Kp lines, higher numbers mean a greater chance of seeing them. With Rhode Island tucked between the yellow and red lines, the Kp values of seven and nine mean there's a good chance the skies will be lit up.

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Patch National Staff Writer Beth Dalbey contributed to this report.