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UPDATED: The Woodlands might be bathed by Northern Lights tonight
UPDATE: Though Texas has left the viewing window of this colorful nocturnal event, there are still ways to catch the shimmering and glowing and awe of cosmic nature, thanks to some livestream cameras stationed throughout the world.
You can find live streams of the Northern Lights from cameras located in high-latitude regions like Fairbanks, Alaska, and Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Other options worldwide include cameras in Norway, Iceland, and Sweden.
In Fairbanks, Alaska,The Geophysical Institute and the Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium have live cameras; The University of Alaska also has cameras at the Poker Flat Research Range and Toolik Lake Field Station, which you can find through theauroraguy.com.
In Canada, The Churchill Northern Studies Center is directly under the aurora oval, and you can watch its live cam on explore.org.
In Norway, the Lyngen North Aurora Cam in Lyngen is a popular option at seetheaurora.com/webcams. The Kjell Henriksen Observatory in Svalbard provides an image webcam at SpaceWeatherLive.com.
THE WOODLANDS, TX – The recent sightings of the Northern Lights throughout the Houston area might include some Woodlanders and residents of Montgomery County tonight with the proper position and a bit of nighttime luck.
While you might be able to see the Northern Lights tonight from The Township, most probably it will require a camera and specific viewing conditions, as naked-eye visibility is unlikely. The best chance is during the peak window of 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. local time, away from city lights, and looking towards the north. For the best chance, use your phone's night mode or a camera with a long-exposure setting.
Try to find a spot with a clear, unobstructed view of the northern horizon, and get as far away from city lights as possible to minimize light pollution. Since it’s iffy if it will be visible to the naked eye, use your phone’s or camera’s ‘night mode’ or a camera with a long-exposure setting to spot the lights.
You can expect for the lights to be faint or only visible through a camera, so it’s important to be patient and have realistic expectations. Fortunately, a geomagnetic storm is expected tonight, which could make the aurora visible farther south than usual.
While it should go without saying, Woodlands Online wants to remind you to not go aurora hunting while driving or standing in a roadway. Always be secure in your surroundings, especially while skygazing in near-total darkness. Additionally, we'd love to see any photos or videos you might take of the spectacle!