You might be able to see the Northern Lights this weekend in Rhode Island

Veer Mudambi, USA TODAY NETWORK - New England

Is seeing the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, on your bucket list? This could be a chance to check it off your list without leaving Rhode Island.

From Friday night to early Saturday morning, the Aurora Borealis will potentially be visible over the northern United States, possibly reaching as far as Virginia, Missouri, Colorado.

Though a rare occurrence overall, this is the second year in a row that the northern lights have come south. An April 2023, they were visible all the way to Arizona.

While the prediction say they are likely to be visible in the Ocean State, AccuWeather's forecast says the viewing conditions may be poor because of cloud cover. But the show might return again on Saturday night, when conditions might be better.

What is the Aurora Borealis?

The Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, are seen in March in the sky above Kiruna, Sweden. The area is widely regarded as one of the best places in the world to see the phenomenon, which occurs when energized particles from the sun hit the Earth's upper atmosphere. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
The Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, are seen in March in the sky above Kiruna, Sweden. The area is widely regarded as one of the best places in the world to see the phenomenon, which occurs when energized particles from the sun hit the Earth's upper atmosphere. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

The phenomenon of the northern lights is caused by massive clouds of charged particles released by the sun toward the Earth, events known as coronal mass ejections. Upon impact with the Earth's magnetic field, these particles interact with molecules of atmospheric gases to ignite the aurora borealis over the Northern Hemisphere, usually over Canada.

Situations such as this one result from larger coronal mass ejections, which can mean the lights will spark over larger portions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Best places to see the Northern Lights 2024

Barring cloud cover, which could be an issue for viewers in the Northeast, for best results it's recommended to travel somewhere with as little light pollution as possible and look to the northern horizon.

"I personally have seen them five times, the best in 2003," Francine Jackson, staff astronomer at Brown University's Ladd Observatory said last July. "The best way to see them here has to be a place with a good northern horizon, with as little light pollution as possible."

If you're trying to see the lights, she recommended finding a north-facing beach.

Even if you don't get the best view on Friday, if the coronal mass ejections continue at their present level, the northern lights could still be visible here on Saturday night as well.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Northern Lights may be visible in Rhode Island May 10-11, 2024

Advertisement