The northernmost states could see the northern lights Monday night as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts a minor-to-moderate geomagnetic storm may occur late in the day.
A minor geomagnetic storm is expected Monday night. (Photo by Hasan Akbas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Monday night’s northern lights may have a Kp index as high as 4.67 on a scale of 0 to 9, according to NOAA’s forecast, indicating bright lights that can be “quite pleasing to look at.”
The lights are likely to be boosted by a geomagnetic storm late Monday, which NOAA projects is likely to be minor with a value of G1 on a scale of G1 to G5, but could potentially be a moderate G2 storm.
The northern lights have been more active than usual over the past week after a coronal mass ejection, a form of solar eruption, caused a severe G4 geomagnetic storm.
The lights will be strongest in Alaska, with lower chances of viewing aurora borealis in Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. NOAA forecasts the view line (see image below), indicating the lowest chance of seeing the lights, will pass through Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine.
NOAA says the best time to catch the lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. The agency also recommends finding a high vantage point with unobstructed views, avoiding light pollution and traveling as far north as possible.
To get the best photographs of aurora borealis, National Geographic recommends using a wide-angle lens, a low shutter speed and a tripod for stability. If using an iPhone, night mode can help capture the lights.
Auroral activity has spiked since the spring as the sun has reached its “solar maximum,” according to NOAA and NASA. The solar maximum is the period of peak solar activity during the sun’s 11-year solar cycle. Heightened solar activity, solar flares and geomagnetic storms have produced what scientists estimate to be the strongest auroras in 500 years. In May, scientists observed what they said was the strongest solar storm to reach Earth in two decades, as strong solar flares and mass coronal ejections caused northern lights displays as far south as Florida. The strong storms and frequent aurora displays continued throughout the year, culminating in the most powerful solar flare of the solar cycle, classified by NASA as an X9.0-level flare (X is the highest letter on the solar flare measurement scale, indicating the strongest class of flares). A severe geomagnetic storm in October again caused northern lights displays visible in Florida. NASA says the solar maximum could continue throughout 2025, possibly indicating strong northern lights displays could continue for months.
NASA, NOAA: Sun Reaches Maximum Phase in 11-Year Solar Cycle (NASA)
How to photograph the Northern Lights, according to an expert (National Geographic)