Mother Nature might paint the sky with green and purple hues in Metro Vancouver tonight.
The aurora borealis might be visible across the Lower Mainland low on the horizon thanks to some stormy space weather.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a moderate (G2) geomagnetic storm watch for Wednesday, Aug. 28 "due to persistent CME [coronal mass ejection] effects." CMEs are large ejections of plasma from the sun’s corona that result in northern light displays on Earth.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) shows auroral displays will be "active" and visible overhead "from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin, and Iqaluit to Juneau, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Sept-Iles, and visible low on the horizon from Vancouver, Great Falls, Pierre, Madison, Lansing, Ottawa, Portland (Maine), and St. Johns" (see slide two).
The university's online aurora monitor map shows what regions the aurora's green glow will likely reach and other areas where it is less likely. Additionally, there is a brief description below the map of the aurora activity on that particular day. You can switch to other days to see the forecast, too.
Viewing the aurora borealis in Metro Vancouver
The colours of the aurora often appear grey or milky when looking at the sky; the human eye doesn't always pick up colour at night, particularly when it is very dark.
While a camera with a long exposure is useful for capturing the vibrancy of the aurora, the newest cellphones have a darklight mode that will also capture colours the human eye can't see at night.
Environment Canada's online cloud prediction tool for astronomical purposes shows how clear the sky might be throughout the day.
The Vancouver weather forecast indicates the skies will be mostly clear overnight. V.I.A.'s Downtown Centre Weatherhood station shows a high of 19 C and a low of 12 C with skies clearing through the day.
Stay up-to-date with hyperlocal forecasts across 50 neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland with V.I.A.'s Weatherhood.
