The northern lights will potentially be visible from 11 states Sunday night, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration update, as space weather forecasters predict continued geomagnetic activity capable of triggering a strong aurora borealis.
The Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, are seen in the sky above Alta, Norway, ... [+]
Sunday night’s forecast has a Kp index of five, meaning the lights will be “quite pleasing to look at” where visible as more motion and formations will be possible as the lights become brighter, according to NOAA.
A strong geomagnetic storm watch remains in effect for Sunday that could expand the viewing area for the northern lights, which may encompass many of the northern states and some of the lower Midwest.
The lights are expected to be less intense than they were Saturday, when there was a Kp index of seven and a projected viewing line stretched as low as central Nebraska.
States either north of or crossing the view line include Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine. Most regions within the states have a low likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights, though the upper edges of Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota have a much higher chance.
The lights are typically the most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. NOAA advises viewing the lights as close to the poles as possible, avoiding light pollution, monitoring weather forecasts for prime viewing conditions and finding a position on a vantage point like a hilltop.
Night mode and longer exposure times on smartphones can help viewers grab photos of the northern lights, as well as an increase in camera exposure.
Sunday’s forecast comes after a relatively strong forecasts for Friday and Saturday night, with Kp indexes of five and seven, respectively. The anticipated peak of Solar Cycle 25, the sun’s 11-year solar cycle which is expected to crest somewhere between late 2024 and early 2026, has led to an increase in solar activity over the past few months. The cycle is forecast to produce intensifying sunspots (115 to be exact) and increasing geomagnetic storms.
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