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A selection of states in the northern U.S. may have an opportunity to view the northern lights Tuesday, as auroral activity is expected to be calmer through the week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Auroral activity will likely be calmer through the week, forecasters said.
Auroral activity is forecast with a Kp index of three on a scale of nine for Tuesday night, indicating the northern lights will be visible farther from the poles and could be “quite pleasing to look at” for anyone in the right areas.
No geomagnetic storms or increased solar radiation are expected through Thursday night, NOAA’s projections suggest, after earlier coronal mass ejections created “minor” storms that pulled the northern lights to more states.
Tuesday night’s forecast is the strongest over the next two days, with a maximum Kp index of two projected for Wednesday and Thursday, according to NOAA’s three-day forecast.
A view line marking a minimal opportunity of viewing the aurora borealis is forecast just south of the Canadian border, with a lesser chance projected for parts of northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Most of Canada and Alaska have a higher chance. (See map below.)
Tuesday's view line.
NOAA suggests traveling between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time to an unobstructed, north-facing and high vantage point away from light pollution to see the northern lights.
NASA recommends enabling night mode, disabling flash and selecting a slower shutter speed if using a smartphone. With a regular camera, the agency suggests using a tripod to stabilize the image, a wide-angle lens, an aperture or F-stop of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting.
More people in the U.S. have had opportunities to see the aurora borealis over the last year, after activity on the sun’s surface reached a “solar maximum.” This peak, which marks an increase in solar events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections, occurs periodically during the sun’s 11-year cycle. Electrons from these events are responsible for the northern lights, as they release energy in the form of colorful, swirling lights after colliding with oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth’s atmosphere.