Coronal hole could result in spectacular light show

January 4, 2017

Thanks to a huge coronal hole over the sun which is facing directly at Earth, there's a good chance of geomagnetic storms over the earth's north pole, which could be a boon to those who wander out tonight and tomorrow night and look at the northern sky; odds are good that you'll see one of nature's most spectacular light shows; the aurora borealis, or northern lights. Photo by Karl Battams Huge coronal hole on the Earth-facing side of the sun, January 3, 2017. NASA predicts the odds of a geomagnetic storm January 4-5 at 65-percent, and thanks to the coronal hole, the aurora borealis show can be seen much farther south than is usual, and North Idaho is well within the expected viewing area. In fact, the shimmering, colorful lights may well be seen by viewers as far south as Colorado and Kansas. On a good note for viewers in North Idaho, skies tonight through tomorrow night are expected to be mostly clear. While there is no way to predict the optimum time to see the northern lights, experienced watchers say 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. is typically best. The coronal hole is an area over the sun where the sun's magnetic field has peeled back, allowing solar wind to escape. As that solar wind buffets the Earth's magnetic field, the dancing lights known as aurora borealis flicker in the Earth's northern night sky. Because of the hole, NASA's Space Weather Prediction Center is calling for auroras at 60 degrees north, well south of where aurorae normally occur.