Some states along the Canadian border may have the last opportunity this week to see the northern lights on Thursday, as auroral activity is expected to be calmer into the weekend, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Thursday may be the last day people in the northern U.S. could see the phenomenon this week, ... More
Auroral activity is forecast with a Kp index of three on a scale of nine for Thursday night, suggesting the northern lights will move farther from the poles and be “quite pleasing to look at” in about eight states, NOAA said.
Thursday will likely be the last opportunity to see the northern lights this week, as a Kp index of just over two is forecast for Friday and Saturday, according to NOAA’s three-day forecast.
Strong solar flares are expected through Saturday, NOAA said, meaning there may be some disruptions to high-frequency radio communications.
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Alaska and northern Canada will have a chance to see the northern lights, while a view line marking a minimal opportunity sweeps through southern Minnesota. Parts of northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, Upper Michigan and northern Wisconsin will also have a low likelihood of viewing the phenomenon. (See map below.)
Thursday night's view line.
NOAA recommends traveling to a north-facing, 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.
Photography experts told National Geographic it’s best to use a wide-angle lens, an F-stop or aperture of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting to capture the northern lights. If using a smartphone, NOAA suggests turning on night mode, lowering the shutter speed and disabling flash.
Scientists from NASA and NOAA said a peak in auroral activity was reached in October 2024, as activity on the sun’s surface achieved a “solar maximum.” This peak followed weeks of increased auroral activity, including what NOAA said was the strongest geomagnetic storm to reach Earth in May 2024, an event that pulled the northern lights as far south as northern Florida and Texas. A peak will likely persist into early 2026, according to NASA. Aurora borealis is created from the interaction of solar events like coronal mass ejections and solar flares with Earth’s atmosphere. Electrons from these events intersect with molecules of oxygen and nitrogen before becoming “excited” and releasing the colorful, sweeping displays of the northern lights.