A smattering of northern states will have a chance to see aurora borealis on Friday night—but another geomagnetic storm is expected to bring the phenomenon further south this weekend, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast, making the northern lights visible to a much larger population.
Aurora borealis may be seen in states like Washington, Maine, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Auroral activity is forecast with a Kp index of four on a scale of nine for Friday, meaning the northern lights will “become brighter” and be “quite pleasing to look at” for those in the right areas.
A minor geomagnetic storm—caused by a burst of energy and particles released by the sun—is expected on Saturday, according to NOAA, which will likely increase the chances of seeing aurora borealis farther south before auroral activity weakens on Monday.
There’s also a chance for minor radio blackouts because of solar radiation, intermittently affecting low-frequency navigation systems and signals and radio frequencies, the NOAA said.
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Alaska and Canada will have a high chance of seeing aurora borealis on Friday, in addition to some states just below the Canadian border. There’s a chance of seeing the northern lights in northern Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota, with a lower likelihood in South Dakota, Wisconsin, northern Michigan and northern Maine. (See viewing line below.)
Friday night's view line.
The northern lights will become visible between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, and it’s best to travel away from light pollution to a high vantage point, according to NOAA.
A regular camera with the focus set to the farthest possible setting and a wide aperture, low shutter speed and high ISO value will be capable of capturing the northern lights, according to Adobe. If using a smartphone, Visit Iceland recommends turning on night mode and a lower shutter speed.
Auroral activity has peaked in recent weeks, as NOAA and NASA say activity on the sun’s surface has hit a “solar maximum.” The sun’s 11-year cycle, Solar Cycle 25, will likely continue through this peak into 2025 and early 2026, with more opportunities to see the northern lights in more states. This peak includes more sunspots and coronal mass ejections, or bursts of plasma and magnetic fields emitted from the sun’s surface. Auroral activity was seen as far south as Texas earlier this month, after a sunspot resulted in a severe geomagnetic storm. Stargazers have had chances to see other celestial events in recent weeks, including the Orionids meteor shower, an “ancient” comet not seen for 80,000 years and another comet that was visible during the day.