Entertainment
The Northern Lights will return on New Years Eve. Heres how to view them.
Even if you aren’t planning to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks, it may still be worth looking to the skies this Tuesday. The Northern Lights are predicted to appear again this week, ringing in the new year with a spectacular natural light show over the U.S.-Canadian border. Here’s how to watch the last aurora borealis of 2024.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has advised that the Northern Lights may be visible across many of the northern U.S. states on Dec. 31, with the display potentially persisting through to New Year’s Day. Part of the lower Midwest to Oregon might also be treated the aurora if they’re lucky, though your chances to catch it are better the further north you are.
This natural New Year’s light show is the result of activity on the Sun’s surface this weekend, including two coronal mass ejections which are expected to reach Earth. The SWPC has issued a strong G3 geomagnetic storm watch for Dec. 31, as well as a minor G1 watch for Jan. 1. According to the NOAA Space Weather Scales, a G3 geomagnetic storm may disrupt radio and satellite navigation, as well interfere with power systems.
Fortunately, such disruption is relatively minor and can be mitigated, so there’s no need to be concerned while enjoying the Northern Lights. If you’re lucky, your view might even be enhanced by a New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
How to get the best view of the Northern Lights
If you’re hoping to catch the New Year’s Northern Lights, you could just head outdoors on Tuesday night, look up, and hope for the best. Auroras can be seen from over 600 miles away when conditions are right, and it can’t hurt to at least check. However if you want to maximise your chances of seeing something spectacular, it may pay to plan ahead.
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The SWPC advises that the best time to view an aurora borealis is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., when the level of geomagnetic activity increases. This is also when the sky is darkest, offering optimal contrast with the aurora. While the Northern Lights may technically be present while the Sun is up, they’re much harder to see against a bright backdrop.
In the same vein, minimising light pollution will help you see the aurora borealis more clearly. Certified Dark Sky Places close to the U.S.-Canadian border may have some of the best views of the Northern Lights, each location having been assessed and recognised for their minimal light pollution.
What causes the Northern Lights?
Though auroras manifest in Earth’s atmosphere, they actually originate from activity on the Sun’s surface.
When a solar flare or coronal mass ejection occurs on the Sun, plasma and magnetic field from the outermost layer of its atmosphere is expelled into space. This creates a solar wind which may travel to Earth, though it can take some time to get here. Radiation from solar flares can reach our planet in just eight minutes, while winds from coronal mass ejections can take anywhere between 15 hours and several days to arrive.
If they do reach Earth, most of these solar winds are deflected away by the planet’s magnetic field. Not all of it is bounced back into space, though. When a solar wind’s charged ion particles enter Earth’s magnetic field instead, they travel to the planet’s polar regions where said field is weakest.
There they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, creating the chemical reaction which gives us the beautiful lights we know as auroras. Auroras in the Northern Hemisphere are called aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights, while those in the Southern Hemisphere are called aurora australis, or the Southern Lights.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 1, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you believe in coincidences.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
A coincidence.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter F.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
FLUKE
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
Entertainment
How to watch Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the 2026 T20 World Cup online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for free on ICC.TV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2026 T20 World Cup action this weekend is absolutely electric. A lot of fans will be tuning into the huge clash between India and West Indies later today, but for an exciting warm up, Zimbabwe face off against South Africa.
Zimbabwe did well to make this stage of the competition, but they’ve lost both their games in the second group stage. South Africa have looked formidable, and will want to continue their run of wins before the semi finals. Expect an action-packed contest between two talented sides.
If you want to watch Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Zimbabwe vs. South Africa?
Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the 2026 T20 World Cup starts at 4:30 a.m. ET on March 1. This game takes place at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium.
How to watch Zimbabwe vs. South Africa for free
Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup is available to live stream for free on ICC.TV.
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This free live stream on ICC.TV is only available in select regions (see full list of territories here), but anyone can live stream the T20 Cricket World Cup for free with a VPN. These helpful tools can hide your IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in a location with free access. This simple process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can live stream on ICC.TV from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Zimbabwe vs. South Africa in the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup for free by following these simple steps:
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Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
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Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with access
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Visit ICC.TV
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Watch the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup for free from anywhere in the world
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch every game from the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for ICC.TV?
ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ICC.TV, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
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Fast connection speeds
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Up to 10 simultaneous connections
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30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Watch the 2026 T20 World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for March 1, 2026
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
Mixed metals.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
ALLOY
Hurdle Word 2 hint
A popular board game.
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Hurdle Word 2 Answer
CHESS
Hurdle Word 3 hint
The edge of the beach.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
COAST
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Milk-based.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
DAIRY
Final Hurdle hint
A Spanish character.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
TILDE
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
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