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Some states in the northern U.S. might have an opportunity to see the northern lights Tuesday, and recent solar activity may make the phenomenon visible in more states later this week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA forecast a Kp index of three on a scale of nine for Tuesday night, suggesting the northern lights might be visible in states just below the Canadian border.
Auroral activity is expected to pick up on Wednesday with a maximum Kp index of five forecast, according to NOAA’s three-day outlook.
Minor geomagnetic storms are possible Tuesday and Wednesday because of the effects of a cooler, less dense spot on the sun’s surface and a “possible glancing blow” from a coronal mass ejection that left the sun on Aug. 17, NOAA said.
Northern Canada and Alaska—once the sun sets in the state—have a higher likelihood of viewing the northern lights, while parts of Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Upper Michigan have a lesser chance. (See map below.)
Aurora borealis is more visible through the winter months as days shorten, though the phenomenon can be seen throughout the year depending on solar activity. The northern lights are best seen between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to NOAA, which suggests viewing the night sky from a north-facing, high vantage point away from light pollution.
It’s best to capture the northern lights with a wide-angle lens, an aperture or F-stop of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting, photography experts told National Geographic. If using a smartphone, NOAA said it’s best to enable night mode, disable flash and rely on a tripod to stabilize the image.
More solar events like coronal mass ejections, or a burst of plasma released from the sun’s surface, are expected through early 2026, according to NOAA and NASA. This peak in activity on the sun’s surface, or the “solar maximum,” occurs throughout the sun’s 11-year cycle. An increase in solar activity was recorded late last year, the agencies said, after the strongest geomagnetic storm in about 500 years disrupted Earth’s magnetic field. That event pulled the northern lights as far south as Florida and southern California.