You ask for “tonight.” But what if the sun erupted three days ago? Those particles travel at one to three million miles per hour.
That means a blast from Tuesday hits Earth on Thursday. You’re watching space history. It’s like checking the mail for a party invitation that was sent last week.
So, check the coronal mass ejection (CME) alerts. If the sun sneezed yesterday? You might catch it tonight.
Where You Are Matters More Than When
You live in Florida? Oof. Good luck. The aurora belt sits around the Arctic Circle. Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Norway.
Even then, light pollution is a buzzkill. Streetlights are the aurora’s enemy. Drive 20 minutes out of town. Find dark sky.
Don’t stare at your phone screen. Your eyes need 15 minutes to adjust. Let your pupils go wild. You’ll see more than the apps show.
