The northern lights could make another appearance over parts of Canada as a sunspot that recently caused a spectacular aurora display rotates back towards Earth.
This sunspot, which earlier this month produced a series of solar flares, including the largest in nearly 20 years, has once again turned towards Earth and emitted another strong, though less intense, flare this week.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which rates geomagnetic storms on a five-point scale, is predicting a moderate G2 storm peaking on Friday, in contrast to the severe G4 storm seen in early May. NOAA's aurora forecast for Friday night indicates the southernmost extent of where the northern lights might be visible cuts across the Toronto area and extends through the Atlantic Region near Moncton, N.B.
The forecast suggests a low likelihood of seeing the northern lights along a path from Vancouver to Winnipeg and Thunder Bay, Ont., with a higher likelihood in northern regions of the provinces and territories.
Space Weather Canada has also issued a major geomagnetic storm watch for the auroral zone, a band that includes much of the territories and northern parts of the provinces.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May
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