Northern lights visible across much of Canada tonight

The U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center forecasted the aurora for Friday night, with most provinces and territories having a relatively high chance of seeing the northern lights; Saturday is expected to have a much lower likelihood. The agency noted the best viewing window is reported as between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., away from urban light and with an open view of the northern horizon.

Most of Canada is being forecast to see the northern lights on Friday night, according to the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center. The agency posted predictions for both Friday and Saturday, and said the aurora is much more likely on Friday. The forecast highlights a broad band of likely visibility across much of the country. The explanation for the lights was described as collisions of electrons from space with particles near the northern magnetic pole. Key details: - Most of British Columbia, the Prairies, Alberta, northern Ontario and Quebec, and most of the territories have a relatively high likelihood of viewing the northern lights. - The Atlantic provinces, Vancouver Island, and parts of the Arctic Archipelago have a lower likelihood of seeing the phenomenon. - Eastern Nova Scotia and the most southeastern corner of Newfoundland were described as the only parts of southern Canada outside the predicted viewing line. - The Space Weather Prediction Center reported the best viewing window is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. and noted that seeing the lights is easier away from urban light and with an uninterrupted view of the northern horizon. - The agency described the effect as electrons entering Earth’s atmosphere and colliding with particles, producing light in ways compared to gas discharge in neon lights. - The Canadian Encyclopedia notes the aurora’s average position in Canada runs from around Yellowknife, N.W.T., to Grande rivière de la Baleine, Que., and that colours are usually green but can include reds, pinks, yellows, purples or blues. Summary: Many parts of Canada are reported as likely to see the northern lights on Friday night, with visibility varying by region. The forecast indicates a significantly lower likelihood on Saturday night, and official viewing guidance was reported as the 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. window with reduced urban light and a clear view north.