By Andy Groebner & Jacob Laux
The Northern Lights, a natural phenomenon admired by many but witnessed by few, are a semi-visible display of the sun’s charged atmospheric particles entering Earth’s atmosphere and reacting with Earth’s magnetic field. This display is more commonly viewed closer at the North Pole, where Earth’s magnetic field is the strongest. However, during strong solar storms, areas as far south as the southern United States can occasionally glimpse the Northern Lights. Green Bay experiences its fair share of solar events each year.
For those hoping to view the Northern Lights near UW-Green Bay (UWGB), understanding a few key factors can improve the chances of success:
- Though there is a pretty good indicator of how strong and who will have visibility for the Northern Lights, scientists don’t know when the sun will release solar flares. As a result, information on Northern Lights visibility is often limited to short-term forecasts.
- Cloud cover significantly affects visibility. Even during strong solar activity, overcast skies can obstruct the view, meaning multiple attempts may be necessary to see the lights.
- The KP index is the measurement used to measure how much solar energy is being dispersed in Earth’s atmosphere, leading to visual refractions. In the Green Bay area, a KP index of three is barely visible, five is visible, and anything over 6.5 is highly visible.
- The human eye tends to struggle to detect the Northern Lights if they are not at a KP index over 5. However, smartphone cameras are more sensitive and may capture the lights even at lower KP indices.
One of the most reliable tools for tracking the Northern Lights is the AURORA app, available for both Android and iOS devices. The app provides essential data, including projected KP index, projected cloud coverage, and many other pieces of information that help users determine the likelihood of a successful viewing.
There are two of the most useful metrics AURORA offers. First, there is an overall viewing probability, and on the bottom, there is cloud coverage in the area, with a lower percentage being better.
There are AURORA’s best predictions for future viewing.
Lastly, for UWGB students living near the campus, there are two places where the northern lights are best viewed.
If students would like to be within a 0.5 Mi walk or a short drive, Communiversity Park right outside of UWGB’s campus is highly recommended. This location will give a good view of the sky without an interrupted view. However, light pollution may reduce the visibility of the northern lights.
The second recommended location is slightly farther from UWGB, requiring a five-mile drive, but the view is well worth it. This location is in between two farmhouses with a great un-blocked view of the horizon to the north, giving viewers the best chance to see the Northern lights.
Taking all of the information given, first, download the AURORA app, turn on notifications with the settings adjusted to the notification liking, wait for a viewing opportunity, and then pick a location. For those planning to take photos, the low-light setting on the phone is an excellent tool for capturing as much light as possible.
