Aurora Borealis likely to be visible in Edmonton on September 16

The Northern Lights will be visible in Alberta’s major cities Monday night and early Tuesday morning, according to photographers passionate about observing the phenomenon.

According to the Alberta Aurora Chasers club, a strong solar flare on Saturday coincided with sending part of the sun’s corona towards Earth, which should now be reaching there.

If the aurora borealis interacts “favorably” with Earth, strong aurora borealis lights could be visible across the province.

Chris Ratzlaff, one of the group’s administrators and a storm and aurora photographer, says the probability of seeing the aurora borealis in the entire sky is 55 percent.

The group recommends viewing the aurora borealis outside of cities, where the colors will be most vibrant. The aurora borealis is usually strongest around midnight.

The group provides advice on photographing the Northern Lights online.

More information can be found online at The University of Alberta, which sends alerts for aurora borealis displays and monitors real-time geomagnetic activity in the capital region, and the Space Weather Prediction Centre, which provides weather forecasting.