Enhanced Northern Lights Alert: Higher Chances To Witness The Aurora Borealis Tonight

 A geomagnetic storm starts Friday and lasts into the weekend, so experts predict there may be a chance to see the Northern Lights further down into the continental U.S.—alongside the Perseid meteor shower that peaks this weekend.

Friday night’s aurora borealis has a Kp index of six, meaning the lights will move even further from the poles and become “quite bright and active,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A group of coronal mass ejections—eruptions of solar material—were released by some overactive sunspots Wednesday and Thursday, and they’re expected to appear this weekend.

The coronal mass ejections that were released Wednesday are estimated to arrive on Earth between Friday night and Saturday morning, while the ejection that left Thursday may arrive Sunday night.

NOAA extended its moderate G2 geomagnetic storm watch that ran from Friday to Saturday to include Sunday, so there may be a chance to see the Northern Lights alongside the Perseid meteor shower, which is expected to peak between Sunday night and Monday morning.

The sun is still “littered” with active sunspots that have a history of creating minor to moderate m-class solar flares, so there’s a 75% chance for m-class flares over the weekend, with a slight chance of strong x-class flares, according to NOAA.

Solar activity has been unusually busy in recent months as the sun’s 11-year solar cycle approaches its anticipated peak between late 2024 and early 2026, with sunspots expected to intensify over the next year, and likely triggering more geomagnetic storms.

Though it’s hard to pinpoint where the Northern Lights will show up, they may be the most visible Tuesday night in Canada and Alaska, according to NOAA (see image below). However, continental U.S. states within the aurora’s view line include Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

The lights are typically the most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. For the best views of the Northern Lights, the agency advises traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, monitoring weather forecasts for prime viewing conditions and finding a position on a vantage point like a hilltop.

What’s The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights?

Smartphone cameras are sensitive enough to pick up the aurora, even when it’s invisible to the naked eye. Visit Iceland, a tourist website for Iceland, where the lights are often visible, advises turning on night mode to best increase smartphone camera exposure.

Solar Cycle 25—the cycle the sun goes through around every 11 years—has been the cause of geomagnetic storms that have resulted in recent sightings of the Northern Lights, and NASA predicts it will continue on into next year. Cycle 25 began in Dec. 2019, and it’s estimated it will reach its maximum—when activity is expected to peak—between late 2024 and early 2026. It’s projected to peak with 115 sunspots, which are where geomagnetic storms originate. Although the maximum hasn’t happened yet, the sun’s activity has been busier than scientists anticipated, so it’s possible there will be even more geomagnetic storms leading up to 2025, though it’s difficult to predict exactly when these storms will occur.