Romance is in the air today — and also predicted to be in space tonight. The conditions are perfect for a Valentine’s Day date with the aurora borealis on February 14, 2025. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says a solar wind stream is heading toward Earth just in time for the star-crossed lovers to gaze upon it together.
Northern Lights Creation
Auroras occur when electrons from space enter Earth’s magnetic field and collide with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere. These collisions produce light in much the same way as electrons in a neon light collide with the gas to produce colors, according to a NOAA Aurora Tutorial.
Solar winds increase aurora activity, because they deliver more electrons faster into the atmosphere. Those speedy solar winds increase the geomagnetic activity, which often makes the aurora bigger and brighter. Those winds also push it farther away from the Earth’s poles — meaning it will likely be visible to more people.
This particular solar storm is driven by a fast solar wind stream emanating out of a coronal hole — an area of the sun’s atmosphere where winds escape more easily.
NOAA provides a dashboard where the aurora curious can monitor conditions for sightings. Even that resource appears in the mood, as it waxes poetic about the aurora’s appearance: “The aurora’s colorful green, red, and purple light shifts gently and often changes shape like softly blowing curtains,” the site said.
For now, aurora lovers in Canada, Maine, and Northern Michigan have the best shot at enjoying the celestial light show. People living a bit farther away might consider a romantic road trip — but might want to bring a heart-shaped box of chocolate or a bottle of bubbly as either a backup or amorous enhancement, just in case the borealis is a bust.
Read More: NASA Hopes to Unlock Secrets Behind Northern Lights, Including Black Auroras
A Borealis Backup Plan
And for those living well out of aurora sighting driving distance, NOAA’s also got you covered. The agency has provided a number of space-, weather-, and ocean-related valentines suitable for printing or sending digitally.
If your significant other is into ocean floor exploration, you might want to go with the “We Have A Deep Connection” card. Amateur meteorologists might appreciate the “Love is in the Air” valentine. And for aquatic life aficionados, you could do worse than the “You’re the Only Fish in the Sea For Me” version.
So whether you plan to take an aurora date or simply view the aurora from a screen, the timing for a light romance couldn’t be better.
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. What is the Aurora?
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Aurora Dashboard
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with NOAA
Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.
