Some Americans may get a special treat during the Valentine's Day weekend if the northern lights illuminate the night sky with a hint of romance. While it's possible this could happen, space weather scientists warn the chances are slim.
The northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, may be visible across parts of North America starting Friday night, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA).
"The aurora may become visible along the horizon of northern tier and far north upper Midwest states," the agency said on Friday. Michigan and Maine may also see an aurora, NOAA said in an advisory.
But don't get your hopes up too high, because it could lead to heartbreak.
A strong solar wind from a coronal hole — a dark area in the Sun's corona that allows wind to escape into space at high speed — is heading toward Earth and is expected to cause a minor geomagnetic storm through Saturday.
This type of solar event is not as intense as coronal mass ejections, which are bursts of magnetic field and plasma from the Sun's outer atmosphere, according to Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist with the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. As a result, any visible auroras will likely be faint and possibly unnoticeable to the naked eye because of competition from a bright moon.
"It won't drive the aurora very far southwards in the Northern Hemisphere. And because it's a more minor storm you're not expecting things to be as vivid, particularly with the nearly full moon sitting out there," Steenburgh tells NPR. "All these things combined kind of weigh against seeing anything really spectacular where we are now."
The moon is 96% illuminated on Friday, according to NASA.
But don't be too disappointed. Catching a glimpse of an aurora is a "game of chance" and skygazers should be patient, NASA says.
And since the sun's current solar cycle has reached its peak and is producing major solar storms, there will be more opportunities to see another aurora in the future.
To increase your chances of viewing an aurora, find a location away from city lights where it is very dark, and look to the north. A cellphone camera may also help to capture colorful surprises that aren't visible to the naked eye.
"It's always worth it, even if you're not seeing it with your naked eye, go ahead and take a picture. See if your camera's picking anything up," Steenburgh says.
You can track the location and timing of the aurora using aurora forecast apps or through NOAA's website.
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