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Some northern U.S. states might have an opportunity to see the northern lights Friday, and a recent coronal mass ejection will likely bring the phenomenon to more areas this weekend, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A recent coronal mass ejection may pull the northern lights to more states this weekend, forecasters ... More
Auroral activity is forecast with a Kp index of three on a scale of nine for Friday night, suggesting the northern lights will be brighter and more active away from the poles, according to NOAA’s projections.
Friday night’s forecast may increase through early Saturday morning to a Kp index of nearly four, improving NOAA’s projections to suggest the aurora borealis could be visible in parts of South Dakota and Maine, the agency’s three-day forecast suggests.
A Kp index of nearly five is expected for Saturday night, as the “influences” of a coronal mass ejection emitted from the sun on June 4 will likely disrupt the Earth’s geomagnetic field, NOAA said.
The northern lights have the highest chance of visibility across Canada and Alaska, while a lesser opportunity is forecast in parts of northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, northern Minnesota, North Dakota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. (See map below.)
Friday night's view line.
It’s best to travel to an unobstructed, north-facing and high vantage point between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to NOAA.
With a regular camera, NASA recommends setting up with a tripod, a wide-angle lens, an aperture or F-stop of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting to capture the northern lights. If using a smartphone, NASA said it’s best to disable flash and enable night mode.
Projections from NASA and NOAA suggest northern lights displays will be more visible in more U.S. states through early 2026, after activity on the sun’s surface achieved a “solar maximum” last year. This peak coincides with increased solar events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which are responsible for auroral activity and geomagnetic activity in the Earth’s atmosphere. Electrons from these events collide with molecules of oxygen and nitrogen, causing them to become “excited” before releasing the colorful, swirling lights of the aurora borealis.