A select few states in the northern U.S. have a shot at seeing the Northern Lights on Saturday night, according to an update from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which forecasts an increase in solar activity by Sunday.
Wisconsin is within Saturday and Sunday's viewing lines. (Photo by Ross Harried/NurPhoto via Getty ... [+]
The agency forecasts a KP index of three on Saturday night and four on Sunday night, meaning the Northern Lights could be visible if “you are in the right place.”
Unlike earlier this week, there is no watch in effect for a geomagnetic storm, which contributed to an abnormally strong aurora borealis showing on Thursday as far south as Texas.
Sunday night’s viewing line extends as far down as central South Dakota and southern Minnesota, though the closer to the line viewers are, the lesser chance they’ll have at seeing the Northern Lights.
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Northern slivers of Washington and Idaho, all of North Dakota and northern parts of Montana, Minnesota and Wisconsin are within Saturday night’s viewing line (see below).
Saturday's view line
Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine will have a low chance of seeing aurora borealis. The farther north people are located in the states, the better the chance they have at catching a glimpse of the natural phenomenon. (See map below.)
Sunday's view line
Areas with little to no light pollution and clear skies will be best equipped for viewing, which is best done between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Those looking to snap photos of the Northern Lights on the smartphones should use night mode and low shutter speeds to capture the aurora’s movement.
The weekend’s fair Northern Lights forecast follows a strong showing on Thursday, when the forecasted KP index reached as high as eight while the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a watch for a severe geomagnetic storm, one that ended up pushing the viewing line much farther south than it had been in recent months. The strong showing comes ahead of a forecasted jump in solar activity between late this year and early 2026, with space weather forecasters predicting an increase in sunspots and geomagnetic storms.
Solar storm brings spectacular Northern Lights to sky-watchers as far south as Texas (NBC)