Topline
Intermittent geomagnetic storming may produce strong northern lights displays this week, and nearly a dozen states may have the chance to see aurora borealis Friday night, according to the latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast.
The northern lights may be visible in some states Friday night. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via ... More
Friday night’s northern lights forecast has a Kp index of 4, measured on a scale of 0 to 9, indicating “more auroral activity” that can be “quite pleasing to look at.”
NOAA issued a geomagnetic storm warning early Friday, projecting a G2 level storm, indicating moderate strength, noting the storm could pull the northern lights southward as far as northern New York.
The stormy conditions are expected to continue this week: NOAA issued a storm watch for Saturday, projecting a “coronal hole high speed stream”—meaning solar wind may escape the sun and travel toward Earth, likely producing a moderate geomagnetic storm.
Saturday night’s preliminary northern lights forecast looks as strong as Friday night’s forecast, according to NOAA, with a Kp index of 4 and about 10 states included within the view line.
Alaskans and Canadians have the best chance of viewing the northern lights Friday night, according to NOAA’s forecast. Other states with strong chances include Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. States included along the aurora’s view line, its southern boundary of visibility projected by NOAA, include Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine.
Friday night's northern lights forecast.
The lights are brightest from about 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. local time, NOAA says. The agency recommends finding a high vantage point, traveling as far north as possible and avoiding light pollution to get the best view.
Travel photographers told National Geographic the best way to capture the lights is by using a tripod for stability, a lower shutter speed, a wide-angle lens and night mode, if using an iPhone.
The northern lights have made frequent appearances in American skies over the past year because the sun is in its “solar maximum,” the period in its 11-year cycle during which it is most active, producing more geomagnetic storms. This solar maximum has been especially active: NASA estimated northern lights activity in 2024 reached a 500-year peak, and scientists expect strong aurora activity to continue throughout this year before declining later in the decade. Some recent solar flares and geomagnetic storms have been especially notable, including a series of solar flares in May 2024 that triggered severe geomagnetic storms, producing northern lights displays as far south as Florida.