According to the National Weather Service Space Weather Prediction Center, the Northern Lights could be visible throughout Southeast Michigan.
In a rare display, large swaths of the U.S. witnessed the breathtaking celestial views as the Aurora Borealis danced across the sky in May.
“I’ve seen them on TV before, but I would love to see them in person,” said Roosevelt Kirksey.
So, could we see the Northern Lights across Metro Detroit? Well, it depends.
“So, just like how we have category one through five for hurricanes, we have category one through five storms,” said Dr. Trey Cade, Director of the Institute for Aviation Sciences and director of Space Weather Research Lab at Baylor University.
The NWS issued a G2 Geomagnetic Storm Watch for most of Michigan.
Dr. Cade said it won’t be a big storm, but you could see them.
Remember the Northern Lights seen around Mother’s Day? That was a G5 Geomagnetic Storm, to give you an idea.
“To see them in person, that would be crazy,” William Robinson said.
Dr. Cade said that if it seems like we’re seeing them more often, it’s because we’re at the peak of the solar cycle in space weather.
He said that space weather looks at how the sun interacts with the Earth and can create magnetic storms, auroras that we see, and radiation storms.
On Earth, our seasonal cycles span a year. Solar cycles span around 10 or 11 years.
If you see the Northern Lights, sometimes the best views are from a digital camera due to its accumulating light.
For an iPhone camera, photographer Brad Reed told Local 4 it shoots at 90 frames per second, then takes those images and compiles them into one picture.
Reed is part of a father-son outdoor photographer based in Michigan.
“It’s able to see more color than your eyes are able to see at one time,” Reed said.
Other viewing tips include avoiding light pollution. Depending on the strength of the geomagnetic storm, it may take a while to see them.
“Another reason why people struggle [to see the Northern Lights] is they don’t give their eyes enough time to adjust to the lights,” Reed said. “So, if you want to see the Northern Lights, give your eyes at least half an hour.”
The photographer also recommends looking in every direction.
