Northern Lights: States Where Aurora Borealis May Be Visible Tonight

Topline The Northern Lights may be visible again this week after solar eruptions launched Tuesday, meaning some northern and Midwestern states may see the aurora Thursday (check out Friday night’s updated forecast).

Key Facts

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration upgraded its moderate G2 geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday to a strong G3 watch or greater, which is likely to cause an increase in Northern Lights activity Thursday night.

Thursday night’s aurora Kp index was also bumped up to a seven, meaning the aurora will “move even further from the poles and will become quite bright and active,” according to NOAA.

A coronal mass ejection—an eruption of solar material—that happened early Tuesday is the cause of elevated geomagnetic activity, meaning the aurora may be visible in several northern and Midwestern states.

Solar activity has been unusually busy in recent months as the sun’s 11-year solar cycle approaches its anticipated peak between late 2024 and early 2026, with sunspots expected to intensify over the next year, and likely triggering more geomagnetic storms.

Where Will The Northern Lights Be Visible?

It’s hard to predict where the Northern Lights will show up, but they may be the most visible Thursday night in Canada and Alaska, according to NOAA

However, continental U.S. states within the aurora’s view line include parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

What’s The Best Way To See The Northern Lights?

The lights are typically the most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. For the best views of the Northern Lights, the agency advises traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, monitoring weather forecasts for prime viewing conditions and finding a position on a vantage point like a hilltop.

What’s The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights?

Smartphone cameras are sensitive enough to pick up the aurora, even when it’s invisible to the naked eye. Visit Iceland, a tourist website for Iceland, where the lights are often visible, advises turning on night mode to best increase smartphone camera exposure.

Key Background

Solar Cycle 25—the cycle the sun goes through around every 11 years—has been the cause of geomagnetic storms that have resulted in recent sightings of the Northern Lights, and NASA predicts it will continue on into next year. Cycle 25 began in Dec. 2019, and it’s estimated it will reach its maximum—when activity is expected to peak—between late 2024 and early 2026.

It’s projected to peak with 115 sunspots, which are where geomagnetic storms originate. Although the maximum hasn’t happened yet, the sun’s activity has been busier than scientists anticipated, so it’s possible there will be even more geomagnetic storms leading up to 2026, though it’s difficult to predict exactly when these storms will occur.

Big Number

215.5. That’s how many daily sunspots there were during the month of August, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. This is the highest monthly sunspot number since Solar Cycle 23 averaged 238.2 spots in 2003