If you’re tired of looking down at your phone at political news, you’ll potentially have a great reason to look up on Thursday and Friday night with a view of the northern lights in parts of BC.
BC is above the view line on Thursday night, and the likelihood of viewing the northern lights increases into Friday.
However, it depends on the weather, which will be a mixed bag for the next two nights.
In Vancouver, Thursday night is expected to be cloudy with a chance of showers, so the probability of seeing the lights isn’t great.
However, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), things are expected to be slightly clearer on Friday night. The Friday forecast calls for cloudy periods with some clear skies after rain in the day.
ECCC
Conditions in Victoria are similar. There will be rain and clouds on Thursday night, but clear skies on Friday night.
ECCC
Even though the likelihood of seeing the northern lights in our region is forecast as low, skywatchers can increase the likelihood of seeing them with a camera in low-light settings, even if they are not visible to the naked eye.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks has our chance to see the lights pegged slightly higher.
Its forecast calls for the light displays to be potentially visible low on the horizon in Vancouver, with increased visibility on Friday. Around 8 pm on Friday looks to be the best opportunity.
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says a massive solar flare created this opportunity to see the northern lights.
“A large X7.1 (R3 – Strong) solar flare erupted from NOAA/SWPC Active Region 3842 on October 1st, 2024. This was the second strongest flare thus far in Solar Cycle 25, only bested by an X8.7 flare on May 14 of this year.”
Earlier this year, an unusually strong geomagnetic storm allowed Metro Vancouver residents to see the northern lights through their phone cameras without needing to travel to places with less light pollution.