Northern Lights Expected Tonight: Where to See Them

Forecasters are predicting a geomagnetic storm that may generate enough solar activity to make the aurora borealis visible on Friday and Saturday night in parts of Canada and the U.S. However, these displays won’t be as intense as those witnessed last month. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued an alert for a G2 geomagnetic storm on Friday. This moderate solar activity increases the chances of seeing the Northern Lights. The G2 storm could cause “moderately intense” disturbances to Earth’s magnetic field, with storm intensity levels fluctuating between low and moderate during the event.

Canada has a higher likelihood of seeing the lights, but they may also be visible in many parts of the continental U.S. into Saturday night, according to the alert. Friday night’s aurora is expected to have a Kp index of three, meaning the lights will move further from the poles and appear brighter. However, auroras are notoriously hard to predict. Because Friday’s geomagnetic storm isn’t as strong as the one in May, the lights may not be as prominent if they are visible at all.

It’s challenging to pinpoint exactly where the Northern Lights will be visible, but they may be seen as far south as New York, Washington, and Wisconsin, according to NOAA’s alert. Other states within the potential view line include Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, and Maine. The Northern Lights are most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. For the best viewing experience, travel as close to the poles as possible, avoid city lights and other sources of light pollution, monitor weather forecasts for optimal viewing conditions, and find a high vantage point like a hilltop. Smartphone cameras are sensitive enough to capture the aurora, even when it’s not visible to the naked eye. Visit Iceland, a tourist website for Iceland where the lights are often visible, suggests turning on night mode to increase smartphone camera exposure.

The recent sightings of the Northern Lights are due to Solar Cycle 25, an 11-year cycle of the sun. NASA predicts that this cycle will continue into next year. Solar Cycle 25 began in December 2019 and is expected to reach its peak in July 2025 with 115 sunspots, where geomagnetic storms originate. Although the maximum hasn’t occurred yet, the sun’s activity has been more intense than anticipated, suggesting more geomagnetic storms may happen leading up to 2025.

The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are shafts of colored light visible in the night sky. They occur when particles from the sun collide with Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds. These particles are formed from clouds created by solar storms on the sun’s surface. Most particles are deflected away, but some are caught in Earth’s magnetic field, which redirects them to the north or south pole, creating the light displays.