Northern Lights color southern Wisconsin skies Sunday night; could return Monday

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – If you're able to stay up late on Monday, it might be another good night to keep your eyes on the skies.

The Northern Lights may be visible from the Milwaukee area for the second night in a row.

Astronomers say the best time to try to see the Northern Lights on Monday is after 10 p.m.

Make sure to bring your phone or camera with you, as you may not be able to see them with the naked eye, especially closer to light pollution.

They could be visible as far south as the Wisconsin-Illinois border.

"It's just very awe-inspiring. It's just a very cool thing to see," said Milwaukee resident Jeni Rudnick.

Aurora borealis has been a first-time sight for her this year.

"I don't ever remember seeing them as a kid," Rudnick said.

Since this spring, she has witnessed the colorful phenomenon three times, including Sunday night from Atwater beach in Shorewood.

"They have these pillars that move and sort of bounce around," Rudnick explained. "I was there for about an hour, so I watched them move out across the lake, which was pretty awesome."

If it feels like the Northern Lights have been particularly noticeable this year, astronomers say it's true - and all thanks to the sun.

"The sun is in a really active time period," said Mallory Conlon, outreach astronomer for Yerkes Observatory. "About every 11 years or so, it goes through a really active time when it switches its poles."

The show occurs when charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's gasses.

"So that green, pink, purple light that we see is all because the oxygen and nitrogen in our atmosphere are getting excited by these charged particles from the sun," Conlon explained.

Sunday night was a very strong coronal mass ejection.

"As far south as, I think, central Illinois was actually able to see Northern Lights yesterday, which is remarkable," Conlon said.

Aurora borealis should still be visible in southern Wisconsin on Monday night, though not as strong.

Astronomers suggest looking through a camera or phone using long exposure.

"Look north, try to get a nice low horizon if possible, not any trees blocking your way, and of course as dark as possible," Conlon recommended.

The Perseids meteor shower may also still be active Monday night, when it's possible to see 50 to 100 meteors per hour.

Click here to see NOAA's Aurora forecast.