Northern Lights Expected in Iowa Thursday Night
The northern lights are forecasted to reappear over Iowa Thursday evening, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. The forecast suggests a strong chance of auroras across the northern United States.
What Are the Northern Lights?
Also called aurora borealis, these natural light displays occur in the northern hemisphere when charged solar particles enter the Earth's atmosphere.
NOAA explains auroras as “beautiful light curtains formed when energetic particles from the sun strike the atmosphere.”
A similar phenomenon in the southern hemisphere is known as aurora australis.
Visibility Forecast for Iowa
The predicted aurora visibility line crosses near Iowa’s southern border. Residents in northern Iowa are more likely to witness the lights.
However, cloud cover may obstruct the view in some areas:
- Most of Iowa will have cloudy skies around 9 p.m. Thursday.
- Des Moines is expected to experience about 95% cloud cover at that time.
- The clearest skies will be along Iowa’s western border.
- Clouds will clear as the night progresses, reducing Des Moines cloud cover to around 36% by midnight.
Other Factors Affecting Viewing
The moon phase this night is a waning gibbous with 98% brightness, which may lessen visibility of the northern lights for observers in Iowa.
Summary
While the northern lights are likely visible in parts of Iowa Thursday night, weather conditions and the bright moon could limit how well they can be seen.
Author's summary: Northern lights may glow over Iowa Thursday night, but heavy clouds and a bright moon could dim the display for many residents.