Northern lights could be seen in Western New York for years

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The increase in Northern Lights displays doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon, so if you haven’t had a chance to see it in Western New York last week, your chances are high to see it. Again!

Your next chance to see it again will actually be this weekend, provided the weather conditions are favorable.

WATCH: Another chance to see the Northern Lights in Western New York this weekend

Another chance to see the Northern Lights in Western New York this weekend

But your chances won’t stop there, they will continue over the next few years!

Indeed, the Sun is in its maximum solar cycle and it could remain in place until 2026.

During the sun’s natural 11-year cycle, the sun goes from relatively calm to stormy and then back again. At its most active level, called solar maximum, the sun is dotted with sunspots.

This activity triggers coronal mass ejections, which are explosions of plasma and magnetic material erupting from the sun. When they collide with Earth’s magnetic field, the currents send particles toward the north and south poles, causing the Northern Lights to appear in our skies. The stronger the geomagnetic storm, the more visible the phenomenon is further south and that is why we can now see them in WNY.

The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) closely monitors active regions of the sun. Once coronal mass ejections reach about 1 million kilometers from Earth, scientists can take much more precise measurements and make good predictions about when auroras can be observed.

A good viewing can last between 15 and 30 minutes, although sometimes it can extend to a few hours or more. It is important to be in a dark, open location with clear to partly cloudy skies.

Simply put, the appearance of auroras depends on solar activity. The most active the sunthe higher the chances of spectacular aurora shows, and this is great news that we can expect over the next few years.

Increased solar activity will make the Northern Lights visible in places where they are rarely seen.

The peak of this solar maximum cycle is expected to occur between now and March 2026.

Again, if you haven’t had the chance to see the Northern Lights, you’ll probably have more opportunities to witness them for a long time to come.