Georgians might get a rare chance to see the aurora borealis Monday night after the sun ejected a massive burst of energy Sunday.
What’s Happening: A coronal mass ejection left the sun Sunday, launching charged particles toward Earth. Aurora displays happen when these particles slam into our planet’s magnetic field.
What’s Important: Federal forecasters at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center put out a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Monday night. They gave it a 4 on their 5-point scale, which means people across large parts of the country have a good shot at seeing the lights.
Where You Can See It: NOAA says the lights could stretch as far south as Alabama and Northern California when activity peaks. People living even further south might capture faint colors on camera that won’t show up to the human eye.
The Timeline: The particle burst should arrive Monday night or in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The Big Picture: Weather experts say this marks the strongest opportunity in recent months to catch the natural light show. Most observers will see a greenish glow along the northern skyline, Accuweather reports.
