# Geomagnetic storm watch for tonight - Northern Lights could be visible in lower latitudes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 30, 2021, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547 "2021-10-30T22:28:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/1 "2021-10-30T22:28:45Z")
> **[Geomagnetic storm could cause Northern Lights to be visible this weekend](https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/geomagnetic-storm-could-cause-northern-lights-to-be-visible-this-weekend/article_25e46916-38ff-11ec-b548-b32d6f0f20a9.html)** > > A geomagnetic storm this weekend may cause the Northern Lights to be visible all the way to mid-Missouri. “The Northern Lights are typically only visible in the northern most parts of the United States, such as Maine, northern Michigan and upstate New York. However, due to the severity of the storm, we are expected to see the lights stretch further south.” Unfortunately, not south enough to see here in Memphis. 🙁 Hopefully, some of you will get the opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/2 "2021-10-30T22:40:28Z")
I just heard on the news that they MAY be visible in rural Iowa, if you’re away from city lights. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/3 "2021-10-30T22:51:01Z")
Possibly NJ… if it’s not cloudy… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/4 "2021-10-30T23:16:52Z")
But sadly it will be cloudy. But I’m hoping. Probably far too much light pollution in my town though. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/5 "2021-10-30T23:25:15Z")
Same. Light pollution from NYC will cut down visibility a lot… but lets not forget neighbors who like to light up their backyards at night like Citifield. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/6 "2021-10-31T01:16:07Z")
Clouds clouds clouds clouds clouds – I’ll take another look in a while. But, judging by the weather report, it’ll continue to be clouds clouds clouds. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/7 "2021-10-31T01:36:23Z")
Clouds clouds and now light rain here, all night ☹ Hoping that the solar storm will linger long enough so that some of it is visible tomorrow night when the sky should be clear. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/8 "2021-10-31T01:39:54Z")
The clouds cleared up for a little while here in Chicago but couldn’t see anything. Of course, _Chicago_, we barely see the brightest stars and planets here. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/9 "2021-10-31T02:32:37Z")
I have hopes, but no expectations. We might be able to see them on the horizon, if we ditch the city lights and head to higher ground. Seeing the lights is something I really hope to accomplish someday. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/10 "2021-10-31T02:52:57Z")
ObligXKCD: > **[Aurora Meaning](https://xkcd.com/2233/)** > > The astro-ph.SR arXiv servers are simultaneously being overwhelmed by electronic requests and actual electricity. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/11 "2021-10-31T06:02:28Z")
So we’re at “someone should go check on our satellites?” ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/12 "2021-10-31T11:56:12Z")
No clouds, but didn’t see any NL – I am in town near a street light but it isn’t super urban – I can see a fair amount of stars. Brian ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/13 "2021-10-31T12:57:32Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Clouds clouds clouds clouds clouds – > > I’ll take another look in a while. But, judging by the weather report, it’ll continue to be clouds clouds clouds. It continued to be clouds clouds clouds. With a little rain mixed in; which I would very much like to be able to send to someplace that needs it, we’ve had 4.7" this week and we weren’t dry before that. Anybody know whether this was a one-night deal, or whether it might happen again tonight or the next? ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/14 "2021-10-31T13:50:30Z")
That’ll hurt the ham radio performance this weekend. There’s a major contest, too. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/15 "2021-10-31T14:16:37Z")
It’s raining in Brussels too, and this city (the whole country, actually) is famous for being excessively well lit. Damn! I may well die before I ever see the lights. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/16 "2021-10-31T18:50:26Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Anybody know whether this was a one-night deal, or whether it might happen again tonight or the next? "As of Sunday, most of the mainland US was not expected to see any more of the northern lights this weekend, CNN meteorologist Haley Brink said. But ‘Aurora may be visible at high latitudes such as Canada and Alaska,’ the [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/alerts-watches-and-warnings) said Sunday." [https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/29/weather/northern-southern-lights-us-europe-wx-scn/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/29/weather/northern-southern-lights-us-europe-wx-scn/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geomagnetic-storm-watch-for-tonight-northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-lower-latitudes/953547/17 "2021-10-31T18:57:53Z")
Thanks for info, even though it’s not what I’d hoped for. And great username-post combination!