Is there a chance to see the northern lights in Ontario tonight?

An October 2013 photo of the Northern Lights near Yellowknife, NWT (photo courtesy: AuroraMAX program)

Experts say there may be a chance to catch the northern lights in some parts of Ontario tonight, but there’s still some uncertainty.

On Wednesday, the sun released a wave of charged particles, and, if they reach Earth and interact with its magnetic field, they may kick off a spectacular light show.

“It all depends on the intensity of the solar activity and whether the highly energetic particles that were ejected from the sun on Wednesday reach Earth,” Dr. Rachel Ward-Maxwell, a researcher with the Ontario Science Centre, told CTV News Toronto on Friday.

“If visible, they would be seen overhead in the northernmost parts of Ontario, but appear closer to the horizon at lower latitudes.”

Ward-Maxwell said it’s pretty unlikely that the northern lights will be visible as far south as Toronto, but that some activity may be spotted in northern parts of the province.

“Your best bet to try to spot them would be to look north a few hours after sunset under a very dark sky and try taking a long-exposure photograph as it would be more sensitive than our eyes,” she said.