A fast-moving solar flare blasted from the sun's surface on Tuesday, and its energy is expected to slam into Earth tonight.
The Coronal Mass Ejection, or CME for short, has swallowed up a slower-moving CME moving toward us, making this particular energy blast even stronger. When a solar flare strikes the Earth, its energy is directed toward the North and South Poles, creating the phenomenal light displays that we all know as the Aurora.
This latest CME is expected to impact the Earth tonight and should be strong enough for the very southern edge of any aurora borealis to reach Northern Ohio.
But will you and I be able to actually see the Northern Lights? Probably not.
Clouds are spreading into the area this evening ahead of a large area of soaking rain that will begin to fall after midnight. One hundred percent cloud cover will prevent us from seeing the aurora late tonight.
Plus, according to Jay Reynolds, a Planetary Scientist at Cleveland State University, even if skies were clear tonight, "The moon's glare will begin to severely disrupt any sightings by 8:40 pm."
"By 9 p.m., the moon is up and will wash out everything," Reynolds said. "The Outburst which generates the Northern Lights is not as severe as what is being made out. Even if skies were clear, and you went to the lakefront with a clear horizon, using long-exposure photography, you might have a shot at it."
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