Northern Lights Forecast: These 10 States May Get Aurora Borealis Tonight From Geomagnetic Storm – Forbes
More northern U.S. states are expected to see aurora borealis Monday night as an incoming geomagnetic storm is expected to affect Earth’s magnetic field, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.An incoming geomagnetic storm may affect Earth’s magnetic field and pull the northern lights to more … [+] states.NOAA forecast a Kp index of four on a scale of nine for Monday, meaning aurora borealis will move further from the North Pole and be “quite pleasing to look at” for those in the right areas.Recent solar weather events will likely result in a minor geomagnetic storm on Monday and potentially some minor radio blackouts through Tuesday, with similar auroral activity likely through Wednesday, according to NOAA’s three-day forecast.More solar weather events are expected this week, according to NASA, including 31 minor solar flares—eruptions of energy from the sun’s surface—and 27 coronal mass ejections, or bubbles of plasma that burst with those flares.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.Most of Alaska will have a high likelihood of seeing the northern lights, while areas in northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, northern Montana, North Dakota and northern Minnesota have a lower chance. Parts of northern South Dakota, Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and northern Maine have an even lower likelihood of viewing the phenomenon. (See view line below.)Monday night’s view line.The northern lights are 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. If conditions are optimal, aurora borealis may be seen as far as 620 miles away.National Geographic recommends using a wide-angle lens, high ISO value and setting the focus to the farthest possible setting. If using a smartphone, NOAA suggests turning on night mode, as a phone’s camera can capture aurora borealis even if the event isn’t visible to the naked eye.The strongest geomagnetic storm to reach Earth in two decades occurred in May 2024, according to NASA. That event created what the agency called the strongest northern lights displays in the last 500 years, with the northern lights being visible as far south as Texas and northern Florida. 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 the Earth and its atmosphere. Electrons from these events interact with atoms and molecules of nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere, causing them to become “excited” and release light particles, according to NOAA. A peak in solar activity was reached in October, according to NASA, indicating an increase in solar weather events. Activity on the sun’s surface is measured over 11-year periods and achieves a “solar maximum” and a “solar minimum,” and the latest peak is expected to continue into early 2026, NASA said.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.
