Montreal could experience northern lights as intense as those of May 10. But clouds could spoil the party.
“It all depends on the weather,” explains Alain Vézina, of the Montreal Planetarium Astronomical Society. “There could be gaps in the clouds in Montreal in the early evening, but it is changeable. »
The visibility of the Northern Lights is defined by an index called Kp, ranging from 1 to 9, predicting up to what latitude they will be visible. The Northern Lights will be visible near Quebec at a Kp index of 5 and at the American border, at a Kp index of 6. In cities with a lot of light pollution, the Kp index must be slightly higher for the aurora boreals are visible.
“Due to Montreal’s light pollution, it takes at least 6 to 7 hours to see them in Montreal,” says Mr. Vézina. Today the Kp index is at 8. Last Monday we saw the Northern Lights in Montreal while the Kp index was at 7.”
Mr. Vézina points out that a cell phone camera is much more sensitive than the eye. “We can use our cell phone to spot the Northern Lights. »
October is a good month for amateur astronomers. “Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) should be visible from October 12,” says Mr. Vézina.
The Northern Lights are more common this year because the Sun is nearing the end of an 11-year cycle, where it is increasingly active.
Visit the US government’s Northern Lights prediction site