Aurora glimpsed in the Maritimes late Monday night; possible again Tuesday night
Aurora spotted in the Maritimes
It was faint and near the horizon but the Aurora Borealis was visible in a few parts of the Maritimes late Monday night.
These pictures below were shared with me by Philomene Breau O’Connor who took them between midnight and about 1:30 a.m. The pictures taken at Cameron Beach, Port Howe, Nova Scotia.
Aurora activity is forecast to be high Tuesday night and Wednesday night of this week.
A picture of the aurora near the northern horizon from Port Howe, N.S., late Monday night.
A picture of the aurora near the northern horizon from Port Howe, N.S., late Monday night.
Viewing conditions
Partly cloudy Tuesday night with fog patches developing after midnight.
The North Shore of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, P.E.I., and eastern coastal areas of New Brunswick are all good candidates for glimpsing the aurora should it make a further appearance tonight.
Similar viewing conditions are expected Wednesday evening. Cloud increases and showers develop overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning.
Best to get away from city lights and find as much of an unobstructed view of the northern horizon as possible. It is likely you will need to be patient and that the aurora will appear only faintly close to the horizon. If you get some pictures of the aurora this week, I’d love to see and share them. They can be sent in to kalin.mitchell@bellmedia.ca.
Partly cloudy and with fog patches developing tonight. Areas that might have a better shot of glimpsing the aurora, if present, include northern/eastern New Brunswick, northern Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
Cause of the active aurora this week
The Space Weather Prediction Center branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration attributes a recent series of ejections of solar matter from the sun (coronal mass ejections) as the cause of the increase in aurora.
As that solar matter collides with Earth’s magnetic field, it creates a geomagnetic storm.
Geomagnetic storms are rated on a scale of G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). A G2/G3 storm is usually enough to get a faint visible aurora low on the northern horizon here in the Maritimes. The storm that produced the bright, overhead aurora in the Maritimes this past May was rated as G5 (extreme) in strength.
Geomagnetic storm watch
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The RCMP has lost 205 firearms since 2020, including 3 submachine-guns
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has lost 205 firearms since 2020, including more than 120 handguns and at least five fully automatic weapons like machine-guns.
PM Trudeau names Anita Anand transport minister after Pablo Rodriguez quits cabinet
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tapped Treasury Board President Anita Anand to take on additional duties as Canada's minister of transport on Thursday.
Tensions flare between Poilievre and Singh in the House after NDP says it will back Trudeau Liberals
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh got into a heated exchange in the House of Commons on Thursday, just minutes after Singh announced his party would not be supporting the Conservatives’ first non-confidence motion against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.
Most Canadians want fewer immigrants in 2025: Nanos survey
A majority of Canadians say we should accept fewer immigrants in 2025, with nearly three-quarters saying immigration should be reduced until housing becomes more affordable, according to a Nanos survey for CTV News.
Canadian women among those who allege Harrods boss sexually abused them
CTV News has learned there are multiple Canadian women alleging they were victims of sexual abuse at the hands of the late Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed.
Influencer couple denies leaving kids alone on cruise
For most people, dinner on a cruise ship is a time to relax. But when influencer couple Abby and Matt Howard decided to kick back with a dinner à deux, they ended up kicking up a storm.
University of Ottawa antisemitism advisor resigns over post celebrating pager explosions in Lebanon
The University of Ottawa's special advisor on antisemitism says he has resigned following posts he made on social media celebrating the pager explosions in Lebanon this week.
Francois Legault wants the Trudeau government to fall
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is calling on the Bloc Quebecois to topple the Trudeau government next Wednesday and trigger a federal election.
Alberta mayor apologizes for comments about killing feral cats
The mayor of Fort Saskatchewan apologized on Thursday for comments she made earlier this week about killing feral cats.