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See the northern lights glow in vivid a timelapse<\/p>\n
Northern lights lit up the sky in New Hampshire on Sept. 14, captured in a vivid timelapse.<\/p>\n
Parts of Washington and 10 other states along the Canadian border may be able to see the northern lights tonight, Sept. 16.<\/p>\n
The aurora forecast<\/a> from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center shows a wide section of northern Washington inside the agency’s “view line” for the aurora borealis. The agency’s view line represents the southern-most areas where skywatchers may be able to see the northern lights.<\/p>\n Places in Washington such as Bellingham, North Cascades National Park and Spokane are well inside the potential viewing area.<\/p>\n “The aurora does not need to be directly overhead but can be observed from as much as 1000 km (621 miles) away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right,” NOAA’s website states.<\/p>\n Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday night’s aurora forecast, the best time to view the northern lights and sky conditions in Washington state.<\/p>\n When is the best time to view the northern lights?<\/p>\n The best time to see the northern lights in Washington state is typically within an hour or two of midnight, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. PT, according to\u00a0NOAA<\/a>.<\/p>\n “These hours of active aurora expand towards evening and morning as the level of geomagnetic activity increases,” NOAA’s website states. “There may be aurora in the evening and morning, but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing.”<\/p>\n Skywatchers would also do well to find a dark location away from city lights.<\/p>\n What are the sky conditions in Washington state on Tuesday, Sept. 16?<\/p>\n Cloud forecasts show good conditions for viewing the night sky overnight from Sept. 16-17. Sky cover estimates from the National Weather Service<\/a> show nearly cloudless skies across northern Washington state from 11 p.m. Sept. 16 to 2 a.m. Sept. 17.<\/p>\n The National Weather Service’s smoke forecast<\/a> for Washington state shows light surface-level smoke in the Bellingham and Spokane areas from around 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sept. 16-17, which may hinder visibility. Smoke conditions can change based on wind conditions and the severity of local and regional wildfires.<\/p>\n What causes the northern lights?<\/p>\n The auroras are\u00a0a natural light display in Earth’s sky<\/a>\u00a0that are famously best seen in high-latitude regions of the Northern and Southern hemispheres.<\/p>\n The phenomenon is caused when electrically charged particles from space enter Earth’s atmosphere and collide with\u00a0molecules and gases like oxygen and nitrogen, causing the atmospheric particles to gain energy. To return to their normal state, the particles\u00a0release that energy\u00a0in the form of light, according to the\u00a0University of Alaska at Fairbanks Geophysical Institute<\/a>\u00a0website, which tracks the phenomenon.<\/p>\n As auroras form, Earth’s magnetic field\u00a0redirects the particles toward the poles through a process that produces a stunning display of rays, spirals, and flickers that have fascinated humans for millennia. Whether hues of green, red, blue, and even pink dance about in the sky depends on the altitude where the collisions occur, as well as the composition and density of the atmosphere at the time.<\/p>\n What other states are in the aurora view line for Sept. 16?<\/p>\n