Topline
Solar weather will likely impact the Earth’s atmosphere this weekend, including a possible geomagnetic storm that could bring aurora borealis to more states, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A geomagnetic storm is expected to affect Earth this weekend, forecasters said.
Getty ImagesKey Facts
NOAA forecast a Kp index of four on a scale of nine for Friday night, meaning the northern lights will be more active and be “quite pleasing to look at” for those in the right areas.
Effects from solar weather events will likely result in a minor or greater geomagnetic storm on Friday and Saturday, in addition to some radio blackouts through Sunday because of a recent solar flare, according to NOAA’s three-day forecast.
Geomagnetic storms are disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field caused by activity on the Sun’s surface, including coronal mass ejections or solar flares, which interact with the space environment around Earth and its atmosphere.
Auroral activity is expected to weaken through Sunday, though it’s not immediately clear whether the northern lights will be as visible on Saturday.
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Where Will The Northern Lights Be Visible?
Northern Canada and most of Alaska have a high likelihood of seeing the northern lights, with a view line—marking a minimal opportunity—that dips as far south as southern Minnesota. Areas in northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, northern Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan have a lower chance of seeing the phenomenon. Other areas will have an even lower likelihood: northern South Dakota, Wisconsin, northern Michigan and northern Maine. (See view line below).
What’s The Best Way To See The Northern Lights?
Auroral activity is best seen between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time while at a high vantage point away from light pollution, according to NOAA. If conditions are optimal, the northern lights could be seen as far as 620 miles away.
What’s The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights?
National Geographic recommends using a wide-angle lens, high ISO value and the focus set to the farthest possible setting. If using a smartphone, NOAA recommends turning on night mode.
Key Background
Solar weather events like solar flares or coronal mass ejections are responsible for the northern lights displays. The electrons from coronal mass ejections—a bubble of plasma that bursts from the sun’s surface—interact with atoms and molecules of nitrogen and oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing them to become “excited” and release small light particles. Activity on the sun’s surface is measured over 11-year periods, achieving a “solar minimum” and a “solar maximum,” and NASA said a peak—an increase in solar weather events—was reached in October. Likely the strongest northern lights displays in the last 500 years occurred in May 2024, according to NASA, after what the agency called the strongest geomagnetic storm to reach the Earth in two decades. That event pulled the northern lights as far south as Texas and northern Florida, with another similar event occurring in October.
Further Reading
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