By Canadian Press

Northern lights may be visible in much of the country this weekend after solar storm

Oct 30, 2021 | 1:50 PM

MONTREAL — The northern lights may be visible Saturday and Sunday in parts of the country where they’re rarely seen.

The federally-funded AuroraMAX observatory in Yellowknife said in a post on social media that auroras may be visible across most of the country this weekend.

The only parts of the country not included in an “alert” issued by the observatory are the southernmost points in Ontario, southwestern Vancouver Island and southeastern parts of the Atlantic provinces, including all of Nova Scotia.

But the observatory, run through a partnership between the University of Calgary, the City of Yellowknife, the Canadian Space Agency and a local astronomy organization, says it is still possible that the lights may be visible in those parts of the country. 

The Space Weather Prediction Center of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the northern lights may be visible farther south than usual due to the solar storm expected to hit the earth today.

roster shakeup

Nanaimo Clippers lose two major players to Major Junior ranks

14h ago

armed robbery

Knife-wielding man robs south Nanaimo liquor store

22h ago

Shorthanded

Clippers fall short hosting Bulldogs

Dec 14, 2024

The centre says in a release the storm is the result of a solar flare and the ejection of plasma and magnetic field from the sun, a phenomenon called a coronal mass ejection. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2021.

———

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press