Normally I do not post in advance about possible celestial displays, but tonight could be a once in a lifetime event (Thursday, November 21st). Around 10:30 pm Central Time there is a fair chance of a combined Northern Lights display and intense meteor shower. Both events are rare; a combination of the two is a unheard of possibility.
Here is an article from the Washington Post speaking to the likelihood of a meteor shower. There could be over 100 meteors in a fifteen minute period … or nothing!
In terms of predicting the Aurora Borealis, use this service from NASA & NOAA named Ovation Aurora. I have annotated a screenshot I took this morning as an example.
- Learn more about camera settings, good locations, etc via my Northern Lights page.
- Boulder Lake is an excellent viewing location near Duluth. A map and other instructions may be found upon my Northern Lights page.
- I would be in place at your preferred location by 10:15 pm Central Time, or earlier depending upon the Aurora numbers. Skies are forecast to clear in NE Minnesota this evening, and the moon will not be above the horizon … thus dark, clear skies should be the name of the game!
