Dazzling aurora may light up New Jersey skies again tonight

⭐New Jersey may see auroras again Wednesday night as solar storms hit Earth

⭐Massive sun eruptions are creating rare light shows visible far south

⭐Clear skies could mean stunning photos tonight

If your social media feed was full of pictures of the northern lights over New Jersey, you could get a second chance Wednesday night to get your own pictures.

In the past few days, the sun has burped out several bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections that reached Earth Tuesday night and early Wednesday. The potential severe geomagnetic storms could disrupt radio and GPS communications, according to forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

How bright the auroras are and how far south they are visible will depend on when the solar bursts get here and how they interact with Earth's atmosphere. The vibrant displays could be visible across much of the northern U.S., and as far south as Alabama and Northern California.

"While Tuesday night's aurora was visible throughout much of the continental United States, much of New Jersey was plagued by cloud cover blocking our view. There will be another opportunity to see the light show Wednesday night, and skies should be clearer this time around," Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said.

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Residents capture magical moments under glowing skies

Zarrow said that because of light pollution you will want to get as far from concentrated light sources like city centers, shopping plazas and neighborhoods as possible. Taking a picture with a smartphone camera may also reveal hints of the aurora that aren’t visible to the naked eye, according to Zarrow.

Jackie MacIntyre of Point Pleasant said when she found out about the lights she threw her coat on over her pajamas to get some pictures not knowing how long the display would last.

She said there were lots of people along the Mansquan Inlet already taking pictures and said her own hands were shaking as she grabbed her shots, some from her own backyard.

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How northern lights happen

The sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, making the light displays more common and widespread.

Aurora displays known as the northern and southern lights are commonly visible near the poles, where charged particles from the sun interact with Earth’s atmosphere.

Skygazers are spotting the lights deeper into the United States and Europe because the sun is going through a major face-lift. Every 11 years, its poles swap places, causing magnetic twists and tangles along the way.

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