(MENAFN- Live Mint) The vibrant auroras are in the limelight after a possibility of this celestial spectacle reaching parts of Northern California emerged. This comes after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center on November 11 issued a severe weather geomagnetic storm warning.

In a post on X, NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center said, "G4 (Severe) Watch now posted for 12 Nov. The recent, fast CME is anticipated to arrive about midday on 12 Nov and G4 potential exists."

This implies that the upcoming severe solar storms has the potential to produce colourful northern lights and temporarily disrupt communications, as per space weather forecasters.

Although the atmospheric the conditions won't be ideal for spotting auroras in California due to the storm but the coronal mass ejections from the sun in recent days could reach Earth on November 11 night and November 12 early morning, AP reported.

However, the brightness and spread of the auroras will depend on when the solar bursts happen and their interaction with Earth's atmosphere.“The vibrant displays could be visible across much of the northern U.S., and as far south as Alabama and Northern California,” the report said.

According AccuWeather, some aurora across the northern US are likely as solar material from this explosion is likely to arrive late Tuesday night or early Wednesday, SWPC said.

When and where to look for the northern lights?

Listed below are the states that have the highest possibility of aurora visibility on November 11, according to NOAA.

• Washington
• Idaho
• Montana
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Minnesota
• Wisconsin
• Michigan
• Alaska

More states in the view line, where sightings are still possible are provided below:

• Oregon
• Wyoming
• Nebraska
• Iowa
• Indiana
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• New York
• Vermont
• New Hampshire
• Maine
• Massachusetts

When to look for auroras in the sky?

Cosmic enthusiasts can look for the northern lights on Tuesday night as it is typically most visible after 10:00 PM and is expected to light up the skies until 2:00 AM

Notably, the best viewing time for this storm is likely between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM, according to NOAA's 3-day forecast.

According to meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn, cloud cover in Northern California is expected to break up on November 11 after 10:00 PM. This will provide skygazers with an opportunity to enjoy the magnificent auroras, kcra reported.

However, low clouds will start creeping in from the coast after midnight to fill the skies with overcast conditions, Dirk Verdoorn said.

How to watch?

Sky gazers must note that best place for catching an aurora is away from city lights. Northern lights that is not visible to the human eye can be caught through the lens of a smartphone camera.

Placerville's Community Observatory docent Randy Hodges said that he did not expect conditions to be favourable for seeing auroras. He cited cloud cover and moonlight as the reason for his belief, kcra reported.

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