Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night

A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.

A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.

The U.S. government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued the first geomagnetic storm watch at the second highest level of G4 since 2005. Geomagnetic storms have five ratings based on severity of their impact, from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).

"It could cover most of North America," said astronomy technician Tiffany Fields from Saint Mary's University in Halifax.

The evening light spectacle, which usually presents in a milky greenish colour, is expected to be visible in most of Canada. There's a lower chance of visibility in parts of Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. It likely won’t be visible in Nova Scotia. In the United States, it could be visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California, according to the U.S. government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

Auroras are sparked by the sun's energy and electrically-charged particles in the Earth's magnetic field.

"It’s really difficult for our eyes to pick up dim light, but if you have something like a cell phone camera with a one or two second exposure, you will be able to pick up some colour," said Fields.