A burst of particles from a solar coronal mass ejection (CME) smacked Earth's magnetic bubble earlier today and sparked auroras at high latitudes. According to the most recent Kp index of magnetic activity at Earth's surface plus a read on auroral activity provided by the POES satellite , it appears that auroras are active right now (7 p.m. CDT) at high latitudes in Scandinavia, Russia and Iceland. There's a good chance the activity will continue and allow observers in the northern U.S. and southern Canada a go at the aurora, too. Bright moonlight may diminish the impact of a potential show, but I encourage you to look across the northern sky tonight for either a greenish glow or arcs of moving light.
Since September 6, the magnetically complex and explosive sunspot group 1283 has sent at least three CMEs in our planet's direction, so expect continuing chances for auroras. According to the latest space weather forecast, the next blow will be sometime on Sunday-Monday. Good luck!
