Topline
A strong geomagnetic storm could make the Northern Lights visible again across the continental US on Friday in states including New York, Wisconsin and Washington, making the aurora “quite bright and active” for observers.
An aurora borealis show can be seen in southern Norway late in the evening in February … [+]
Key facts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has issued a geomagnetic storm warning for Friday, triggered by a coronal mass ejection (an outburst of solar material) that occurred on Tuesday.
NOAA designated the geomagnetic storm as a “strong” G3 storm, meaning it has the potential to affect power grids, satellites and radio frequencies.
If the geomagnetic storm reaches Earth, the Northern Lights could become “faintly visible along the horizon of the northern states and the far northern states of the Midwest,” NOAA said.
Friday night’s aurora borealis previously had a Kp index of four before NOAA raised it to a six, meaning the lights will move further away from the poles and will appear “quite bright and active” to observers under the right viewing conditions.
Forecasts suggest the Northern Lights are more likely to be seen in Canada and Alaska, but parts of the continental US could still see them into the weekend.
Solar activity has been unusually busy in recent months, as the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle reaches its expected peak between late 2024 and early 2026. Sunspots are expected to become more intense in the coming year, likely triggering more geomagnetic storms.
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Where can the Northern Lights be seen tonight?
While it is difficult to determine exactly where the lights will be visible, NOAA offers a forecast with a possible line of sight (see below). States within the line of sight include Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and parts of New York, Vermont, and Maine.
the line of sight of the northern lights.
What is the best way to see the Northern Lights?
The lights are most active between 10pm and 2am. For the best view of the Northern Lights, NOAA recommends traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, checking the weather forecast for optimal viewing conditions, and finding a suitable spot. position on a vantage point such as a hilltop. Smartphone cameras are sensitive enough to capture the aurora even when it is invisible to the naked eye. Visit Iceland, a tourism website for Iceland, where the lights are often visible, advises that turning on night mode is best to increase the exposure of your smartphone camera.
Main background
An event called Solar Cycle 25, the cycle the sun goes through roughly every 11 years, is causing geomagnetic storms that have resulted in recent sightings of the northern lights, and NASA predicts it will continue into next year. Cycle 25 began in December 2019 and is expected to reach its maximum, when activity is expected to peak, between late 2024 and early 2026. It is expected to peak with 115 sunspots, where geomagnetic storms originate. While it has not yet reached its maximum, the sun’s activity has been busier than scientists expected, so it is possible that there will be more geomagnetic storms in the run-up to 2026, although it is difficult to predict exactly when the storms will occur.