Northern lights may appear alongside November super moon in Wisconsin this week. Here’s when
Time lapse video: Northern lights near Milwaukee, Wisconsin
See a time lapse video of the northern lights dance across the sky north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in Bayside on Thursday night.
Wednesday night is set to bring three different celestial shows to Wisconsin.
Not only will November’s full super moon and meteor shower be visible, but there’s also a chance the northern lights could make an appearance.
The aurora may be visible in the northern portion of the Badger State Nov. 5 while the entire state is in the lights’ viewline Nov. 6, according to a forecast from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
Wednesday’s forecast has a Kp index of three while Thursday’s has a Kp index of five. If the lights are visible, they will likely be “brighter and there will be more auroral activity” when they’re in the three to five KP index range since they’re further from the poles , according to the SWPC.
Aside from the general viewline forecast, the SWPC also has a tool that provides a short-term forecast that shows the celestial phenomena’s location and intensity for the next 30 to 90 minutes.
What will the weather be like in Wisconsin Nov. 5 and Nov. 6?
Northern Wisconsin is expected to have mostly clear skies Nov. 5, including in Green Bay and Appleton, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service.
However, showers could complicate Wisconsinites’ chance of seeing the lights Nov. 6. Rain is expected across most of the Badger State, including in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Appleton and Wausau.
What are tips for watching the northern lights?
The lights are typically best “within an hour or two” of midnight, meaning you should keep an eye out between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., per the SWPC.
“There may be aurora in the evening and morning but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing,” the center said.
You should also head away from city lights and seek out high vantage points for a better view. You can find more tips from the SWPC at https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/tips-viewing-aurora.
What are the best places in Wisconsin to watch the aurora borealis?
Here’s a list of Wisconsin locations that could offer some of the best views of the night sky:
