Aurora Borealis Forecast: These 15 States May See Northern Lights Tonight Amid Geomagnetic Storm – Forbes
High-speed winds from the sun’s surface may impact the Earth’s magnetic field on Thursday, potentially making the northern lights visible to more states, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Forecasters said high-speed winds from the sun’s surface may impact the Earth’s magnetic field. NOAA forecast a Kp index of five on a scale of nine for Thursday night, meaning the northern lights will move further from the North Pole and be “quite pleasing to look at” for those in the right areas.”A minor geomagnetic storm—a disturbance of Earth’s magnetic field—is expected Thursday, and is likely caused by high-speed winds from a spot on the sun’s surface, according to NOAA’s three-day forecast.Aurora borealis will likely remain as active through Friday night, according to the agency’s estimates, though it’s expected to become calmer by Saturday.On Sunday, NASA forecast a wave of space weather events that may affect Earth this week, including 31 low-class solar flares and 27 coronal mass ejections, both of which are linked to an increase in auroral activity.Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.Alaska will have a high chance of viewing the northern lights, while areas in northern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin have a lower likelihood. Parts of northeastern Wyoming, South Dakota, northern Iowa, Upper Michigan, northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine have an even lower chance of seeing the phenomenon. (See view line below.)Thursday night’s view line.Aurora borealis is best seen between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to NOAA, which recommends traveling to a high vantage point away from light pollution. The northern lights could be seen as far as 620 miles away if conditions are optimal.If using a regular camera, National Geographic suggests using a wide-angle lens, high ISO value and focus set to the farthest possible setting. NOAA suggests turning on night mode if using a smartphone, as a phone’s camera can capture aurora borealis even if the lights aren’t visible to the naked eye.Activity on the sun’s surface achieved a “solar maximum” in October, according to NASA, suggesting an increase in solar weather events will persist through early 2026. These events include solar flares—eruptions of energy from the sun’s surface—and coronal mass ejections, or bubbles of plasma that burst with those flares. Electrons from these events interact with atoms and molecules of nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere, causing them to release light particles, according to NOAA. The strongest geomagnetic storm to reach Earth in two decades occurred in May 2024, creating what NASA called the strongest northern lights displays in at least 500 years. A similar event occurred in October, as the northern lights were seen as far south as northern Florida and Texas.One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:So, how can you be a power user?Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.
