Who can forget the sight of the Northern Lights in May 2024? From Florida!

New Year’s Eve will see a further decline in the visibility of the Northern Lights across the US as a strong geomagnetic storm is forecast for today, December 31st.

This is fireworks!

Will this be seen in Florida? Here’s what you should know.

Will the Northern Lights be seen in Florida on New Year’s Eve?

NOAA’s aurora line of sight for tonight, December 31, extends into Iowa but remains well north of Florida.

Residents of the same areas – stretching from Washington, Iowa to New York – will have a second night to view the aurora borealis on January 1st.

“The brightness and location of the aurora is typically represented as a green oval centered on the Earth’s magnetic pole. The green ovals turn red when the aurora is expected to be more intense,” NOAA said.

Short-term forecast map for location and intensity of the Northern Lights?

NOAA provides a short-term forecast of the location and intensity of the Northern Lights. View 30- to 90-minute forecasts.

Florida was treated to the sight of the Northern Lights in May 2024

On May 10, 2024, Florida residents were treated to a breathtaking sight as the Northern Lights painted the night sky.

According to AccuWeather, the light show was visible as far away as Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

The prospect surprised Florida residents.

➤ Northern Lights visible throughout Florida

“I’m really impressed to see the Northern Lights in FLORIDA! Just…amazing,” David Reese Posted on X from Tallahassee.

Visiting family in areas where Northern Lights are visible? Here’s when to look it up

According to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, the best time to see the northern lights is usually one to two hours after midnight, between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.

What is the Aurora Borealis?

The Northern Lights look like bands of light flashing across the night sky.

They “form when energetic particles from the Sun smash into Earth’s upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million miles per hour, but our planet’s magnetic field protects us from the onslaught,” Space.com said.

In the Northern Hemisphere the phenomenon is called the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, while in the Southern Hemisphere it is called the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis.

Why are there different colors in the northern lights?

The brilliant colors of the northern lights are determined by the chemical composition of Earth’s atmosphere and the altitude at which the sun’s particles collide with gases, according to Space.com.

According to the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the aurora is most often seen green, but occasionally shows other colors, ranging from red to pink or blue to purple.

According to the Canadian Space Agency, green, the most common aurora color, is produced by oxygen molecules in Earth’s atmosphere at altitudes of about 60 to 190 miles.

According to the CSA, red auroras are usually associated with more intense solar activity and occur when solar particles react with oxygen at higher altitudes, generally 180 to 250 miles.

According to Space.com, blue and purple auroras are less common and also tend to occur during times of high solar activity. According to The Aurora Zone, these colors arise when solar particles collide with nitrogen in Earth’s atmosphere at an altitude of 60 miles or less.

“Yellow and pink auroras are rare and are typically associated with high solar activity. These colors result from a mixture of red auroras with green or blue auroras,” Space.com said.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida Northern Lights Forecast: New Year’s Eve Map