Topline
A selection of states along the Canadian border could have a chance to see the northern lights Tuesday after a period of recent geomagnetic storms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Some geomagnetic storms pulled the northern lights to more states in recent days.
NOAA forecast auroral activity with a Kp index of three on a scale of nine, suggesting the northern lights could become more active farther from the poles and be “quite pleasing to look at” for those in the right areas.
Tuesday’s auroral forecast follows “minor” geomagnetic storms that disrupted Earth’s magnetic field over the last two days, increasing the Kp index to around four and boosting a chance to see the northern lights in Maine, South Dakota, New York, New Hampshire and Vermont.
No minor or greater geomagnetic storms are expected through Thursday, according to NOAA’s three-day forecast, with calmer auroral activity also forecast.
There’s a lesser chance the northern lights will be visible in parts of northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. A higher likelihood is forecast across Canada and Alaska. (See map below.)
Tuesday's view line.
NOAA recommends traveling to a high vantage point away from light pollution to see the northern lights, which the agency said are best seen between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.
With a smartphone, NOAA suggests enabling night mode and disabling flash, while also using a tripod to stabilize the image. If using a regular camera, photography experts told National Geographic it’s best to use a wide-angle lens, an aperture or F-stop of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting.
Activity on the sun’s surface achieved a “solar maximum” in October 2024, meaning the northern lights could be more visible into early 2026. NOAA and NASA said this peak corresponds with an increase in solar events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which are responsible for the northern lights. Electrons from these events collide with oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing them to release energy in the form of swirling lights. The strongest geomagnetic storm to reach Earth in two decades reached the atmosphere in May 2024, bringing the northern lights as far south as Florida and Texas.