Rare chance to see Northern Lights in the Philadelphia area on Friday – NBC10 Philadelphia

The strongest solar flare since 2017 will impact the area starting late Thursday evening, bringing with it the possibility of seeing an aurora borealis or northern lights.

A magnetic storm of magnitude G3 is forecast for Friday by the Space Weather Prediction Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the G3 storm will cause auroras to be visible in the far north of both states.

People in the Lehigh Valley and Poconos have the best chance of seeing this, but cloud cover could be an issue.

Meanwhile, in Delaware, it would take a stronger storm to see the aurora.

These storms can occur suddenly and occur during the day or at night.

For us to see this, it would have to happen at night. According to the NOAA forecast, the storm will peak in our region on Friday evening.

How can I see the Northern Lights?

Did you know that the best way to view the Northern Lights is with your smartphone?

The lens on your phone's camera adapts to darker conditions and can capture faint auroras that are not visible to the naked eye.

Look to the northern sky on Friday evening to see this rare spectacle!