Northern Lights could be visible in Appleton May 10 or 11 if the weather cooperates

Rebecca Loroff, Appleton Post-Crescent

The Northern Lights could make an appearance in Appleton May 10 or May 11.

The sky could put on a show across North America this weekend as a result of at least seven coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, headed towards Earth according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.

Similar patterns of solar activity have resulted in the Northern Lights being seen as far south as Alabama and northern California, the agency said.

The Northern Lights, rarely seen in Wisconsin, put on a spectacular display April 23, 2023 near Pulaski, Wis.
The Northern Lights, rarely seen in Wisconsin, put on a spectacular display April 23, 2023 near Pulaski, Wis.

When could I see the Northern Lights in Appleton?

The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, is expected to be visible during the nights of May 10 or May 11.

During those two nights, the best way to predict when you actually see the northern lights is to use NOAA's Aurora Forecaster Tool. The tool forecasts geomagnetic activity 30 minutes ahead of time over North America, usually represented by a green oval. When the oval over Wisconsin turns yellow, orange or red, then you have a good chance of seeing the northern lights in Wisconsin.

The Northern Lights, rarely seen in Wisconsin, put on a spectacular display April 23, 2023, near Pulaski, Wis.
The Northern Lights, rarely seen in Wisconsin, put on a spectacular display April 23, 2023, near Pulaski, Wis.

The chances of seeing the Northern Lights in Appleton, however, also depend upon the weather. The National Weather Service predicts showers and thunderstorms until midnight in the Fox Cities. Saturday night, however, is forecast to be clear with a low of about 47 degrees.

The National Weather Service Green Bay said on X the skies are most likely to be clear Friday night south of State 29 and that they might entirely clear by 2 or 3 a.m. Saturday. However, if you'd like to know for sure where the clouds are, the NWS also recommends using NOAA's GOES Image Viewer, which visualizes cloud cover during day or night.

How do I get the best view of the Northern Lights?

The Space Weather Prediction Center recommends going out at night, heading north and getting away from city lights, which can obscure the view of the night sky. The best time to catch the aurora is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.

If you have time to travel, Newport State Park in Ellison Bay is an internationally designated Dark Sky park. That means it's one of the few places in North America where "you will find out what a dark sky truly looks like," according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

However, getting to any rural location where you can get an unobstructed view of the stars will work, according to Gene Hanson, observatory director for the Milwaukee Astronomical Society.

Contributing: Alex Groth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Rebecca Loroff is a K-12 education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @RebeccaLoroff.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Northern Lights could be visible in Appleton May 10, May 11

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