Northern Lights Forecast Extends To 10 States Tonight

A moderate geomagnetic storm expected early Tuesday evening could make the Northern Lights visible in 10 states overnight, one day after millions of Americans reported spotting aurora borealis in the deep south due to a powerful solar coronal mass ejection.

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Key Facts

NOAA predicts a moderate geomagnetic storm—caused by solar activity disruptions in Earths upper atmosphere—on Tuesday and a minor storm on Wednesday.

NOAA forecast a Kp index, which measures global geomagnetic activity, at a high of 6 on Tuesday before falling through Thursday.

Forecasters also observed a minor solar radiation storm, which can cause the lights to stretch further from the poles, on Tuesday.

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Northern Canada and Alaska have the highest likelihood of viewing the northern lights, but NOAAs predicted “view line” for Tuesday dips into the lower 48 and covers parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Maine. (See graphic below).

NOAA

Whats The Best Way To See The Northern Lights？

NOAA recommends getting as far away from light pollution as possible and finding the highest possible vantage point. The lights are best viewed while facing north, usually between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.

Whats The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights？

When using a smartphone, NOAA suggests turning off flash and enabling night mode. A tripod can help stabilize the image. With a separate camera, its best to use a wide-angle lens, an aperture or F-stop of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting, photography experts told National Geographic.

Key Background

The Aurora Borealis is still benefiting from activity on the sun‘s surface reaching a “solar maximum” in October 2024, scientists say, making the northern lights more visible than usual. The increased frequency of solar events is likely to start tapering off at the end of this year and into next as the sun’s 11-year cycle continues, heading towards “solar minimum” around 2031 and 2032. Other astronomical events expected this year include a “planetary parade” that will see Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter appear in the night sky in late February and a total lunar eclipse will be visible in North America in March.