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There may be an opportunity for some states in the northern U.S. to view the northern lights Wednesday night, and it’s possible the phenomenon may become more visible, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA forecast a Kp index of four on a scale of nine for Wednesday, suggesting the northern lights might be more visible farther from the poles, including just south of the Canadian border.
No geomagnetic storm conditions or “significant” solar wind effects are expected over the next three days, including Wednesday night, according to NOAA’s projections.
Lesser auroral activity is expected Thursday and Friday, according to NOAA, with a maximum Kp index of about two forecast for either day.
The northern lights will have a better chance of being seen throughout Canada and Alaska once the sun sets in the state. A lesser chance, marked by a curved “view line,” is forecast in parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, upper Michigan and Maine. (See map below.)
NOAA recommends traveling to a north-facing, high vantage point away from light pollution sometime between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.
If using a smartphone, NOAA suggests disabling flash, enabling night mode and relying on a tripod to stabilize the image. With a regular camera, photography experts told National Geographic it’s best to use 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.
Activity on the sun’s surface achieved a “solar maximum” in late 2024, indicating the northern lights will be more visible through early 2026, according to NASA and NOAA. A “solar maximum,” coinciding with a “solar minimum,” occurs throughout the sun’s 11-year cycle and marks a respective increase or decrease in solar events like coronal mass ejections or solar flares. These events are responsible for aurora borealis, as electrons collide with molecules of oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing them to become “excited” before releasing energy in the form of colorful, swirling lights.