Canadians may have the opportunity to witness a spectacular celestial display over the next few nights thanks to a geomagnetic storm that is expected to intensify the Northern Lights.
Canadian and American government agencies have issued major geomagnetic storm watches, indicating a disturbance in the sky that can heighten the visibility of the aurora borealis after sunset.
Space Weather Canada is predicting geomagnetic storms July 30 and 31 while the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center is forecasting storms through Aug. 1.
The NOAA issued a G3 geomagnetic storm watch, the third strongest storm classification, for July 30 and 31, while additional activity is anticipated Aug. 1.
Geomagnetic storms are categorized into five levels according to their severity, ranging from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).
The storms have been spurred by the arrival of a weak coronal mass ejection (CME) that erupted earlier this week, the NOAA said. Activity is expected to increase as later CMEs impact the Earth’s geomagnetic field.
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The CMEs first began arriving July 29 bringing the possibility of minor storms, the NOAA said. The storms began increasing in intensity July 30, leading to G2 and G3 storm levels. As storm levels grow, so does Canadians’ chance of seeing the northern lights.
Space Canada is predicting “active” auroral sightings with “stormy intervals” in its 24-hour forecast for Northern Canada July 30 and “unsettled” auroral sightings with “stormy intervals” for the southern section of the country.
But the Northern Lights aren’t all you’ll see in the skies after dark. The Weather Network is predicting Canadians can also expect to see meteor showers.
The Delta Aquariids meteor shower, which traverses the skies from July 18 to Aug. 21, is expected to peak July 30. This shower is joined by the Perseid meteor shower which occurs from mid-July until Sept. 1, according to celestial website Earth Sky. It is expected to peak Aug. 13.
The storms and impending light show marks the third time in as many months that Canadians have been able to experience this nocturnal phenomenon.
A similar solar storm hit the earth’s geomagnetic field on May 10 bringing about the brightest display of the aurora borealis seen in North America in more than 20 years, according to the Weather Network. A second storm hit on May 31, although it didn’t match the brilliance of the night skies during the severe geomagnetic storm earlier that month.
