BALTIMORE — On April 23, 2023, a rare level two (even up to level four potential), geomagnetic storm that cloud be visible even here in western Maryland. The northern lights or aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere is caused by interactions between the Earth's magnetic field and charged particles from the atmosphere of the sun interacting with one another. This causes a solar flare that floats through space and eventually breaks the barrier of the Earth's magnetic field. In turn, this reaction causes pretty colored lights in the poles. But tonight, the storm has the ingredients to be visible farther south. Two issues do hinder the potential; cloud cover and light pollution. The best spots to see it will be out in western Maryland where light pollution is significantly less than the Baltimore metro. Unfortunately, it does look like we have some pesky lingering clouds around that could hinder sky watchers. The best chances to go out and look will be from 10:00 PM to 3:00 AM on Monday April 24. If you happen to see the lights feel free to send us your pictures or tag us on social media at @wmar2news or to me at @allyblakewx . Good luck looking!
