Solar storms painted the skies with auroras as far south as Texas and Kansas overnight, and more could be on the way.
Patrick Huth, a physics and astronomy professor at CCAC, says the sun has released several bursts of energy, called coronal mass ejections, two of which have already reached Earth
“These particles arrive with so much energy, they collide with the atoms in the upper, upper atmosphere of Earth and the atmosphere absorbs that energy and releases it as physical light, that we can see,” said Huth.
For anyone hoping to see the auroras, Huth says the colors might be hard to catch.
But, you use your cell phone camera, you should be able to capture the light images.
“The sensitivity of the camera is a little bit better than our eyes,” adds Huth.
The only problem, there is expected cloud cover in Southwestern PA Wednesday night. But the clouds could start to clear later.
The best time to see the lights will be between 9 and 11 p.m. and if you really don't want to miss them... your best chance to see them may be by traveling closer to the northern West Virginia or eastern Ohio borders.
Much of the northern to middle of the United States will have a shot at seeing the northern lights on Wednesday night.
For your best chance to see the auroras, look to the north and try to find a spot as dark as possible. If you can't see them with the naked eye, try your cell phone camera.
If that doesn't work, see if you camera has a 'night-mode' setting.
He adds there’s no danger to people, though strong solar storms can disrupt GPS, power grids, and other technologies.
For the latest aurora forecast, visit this site.