(Image: NOAA)

This weekend could be the perfect time to get involved with Capitol Hill’s stargazing community.

A massive solar storm, a new moon, and forecasts calling for clear skies could match up Friday night to create prime a Northern Lights viewing opportunity in the Pacific Northwest.

The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center says a severe Geomagnetic Storm remains likely caused by a “large, complex sunspot cluster.”

Experienced skywatchers are calling the possibility “the best aurora viewing conditions that many of us in the PNW have ever experienced.”

“The aurora could be directly overhead, with clear skies and a new moon,” Seattle weather expert Joe Boomgard-Zagrodnik said.

But just because conditions are good doesn’t guarantee a show. The ability to view the phenomenon will depend on the timing of the effects of the storm’s arrival with the peak of the impact expected to peter out by Saturday. Light pollution also makes city viewing a challenge.

Still, there will be stars and the faint shadow of a new moon to enjoy. If you are interested in more things celestial in the skies above Capitol Hill, check out the community of skygazers that has formed at Volunteer Park.

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