Chance to see northern lights continues over parts of Ontario and Canada

The chance to see northern lights over parts of Ontario and Canada continues this week.

A geomagnetic storm warning has been extended to June 3, the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center said on X.

There were strong storm warnings on the weekend.

The storm activity stems from coronal mass ejection or large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s atmosphere, according to Space.com.

Coronal mass ejections carry electrically charged atoms, known as ions, according to space.com. When these ions collide with Earth’s magnetosphere, they can trigger geomagnetic storms and during such storms, the ions interact with gases in Earth’s atmosphere, releasing energy in the form of light—aurora borealis—in the Northern Hemisphere, space.com says.

The storms can also impact power systems and communications.

Aurora may be seen from Canada into northern parts of the U.S. such as Michigan, Maine, Pennsylvania and Oregon on June 2, the Space Weather Prediction Center said.

Clear skies are forecast in the GTA on June 2 and 3 but the best chance to see the lights is typically away from city lights. The forecast maps show a better chance of seeing aurora in northern parts of Ontario.

For more information see the Space Weather Prediction Center website here.

Lead Photo: SUOMI PHOTOGRAPHY