Rochester will have rare chance to see Northern Lights
The Northern Lights, or the Aurora Borealis. The Vikings thought it was a road to the Gods, but we now know exactly what those beautiful lights actually are. Buzz60
If you look north across Lake Ontario Saturday night, you might — just might — catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)’s Geophysical Institute’s aurora forecast shows that the lights, or aurora borealis, will be unusually active Saturday, with a visible range extending just to the southern edge of Lake Ontario.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo said the chances are good — which, in the context of seeing the Northern Lights in Rochester, means about 5 to 10 percent likelihood. The best time to look will be after 11 p.m., in particular up close to the shoreline. It is forecast to be a clear night, removing the complication of clouds.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center suggests that the aurora borealis could be visible as far south as Iowa and Colorado.
This relatively rare event can be tracked to March 20 when a powerful eruption of solar energy sent an unusually large stream of electrically charged particles streaming toward Earth.
Normally, such particles simply collide with gas particles in Earth's atmosphere and put on their colorful display, much like the glow of a neon light. Oxygen molecules give off a familiar, ghostly green aurora, while nitrogen produces blue or -red.
While no cause of alarm for personal safety, or even the sensitive North American power grids, the arrival of this potent burst of energy can trigger a geomagnetic storm and disrupt the delicate balance around the poles.
The storm, in turn, pushes the swirling aurora off course, driving it southward for as long as three days and putting on its magic show.
To get the best view, look to the east Saturday night before midnight, as the aurora rises, or to the west after midnight. Warning: this only works if the skies are clear and dark.
Another warning: Don't expect aurora borealis to put on a dazzling show farther south, where it might appear as only a glow on the horizon in places like Detroit and Chicago.