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Several states may have an opportunity to see the northern lights Thursday, after some geomagnetic storm conditions pulled the phenomenon farther south earlier this week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Geomagnetic storms brought the phenomenon to more states earlier this week.
NOAA forecast auroral activity with a Kp index of four on a scale of nine for Thursday night, meaning the northern lights will move farther from the poles and be more active.
Earlier Thursday morning, NOAA projected a Kp index of six as minor geomagnetic storms disrupted Earth’s atmosphere and likely pulled the northern lights to parts of Oregon, Wyoming, Iowa, New York, New Hampshire and Vermont, among other areas.
Auroral activity will likely be calmer on Friday and Saturday, with a Kp index of just over three forecast for each day, according to NOAA’s three-day forecast.
Some minor to moderate radio blackouts are also possible, with a slight chance for “strong” blackout events through Saturday that could disrupt high-frequency radio communications, NOAA said, though broader impacts are unlikely.
A higher chance of visibility is forecast across northern Canada and Alaska, while a lesser likelihood is expected in parts of Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Upper Michigan. An even lower chance to see the northern lights is forecast for parts of Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Maine. (See map below.)
Thursday's view line.
NOAA suggests traveling between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. to a north-facing, high vantage point away from light pollution to observe the northern lights.
Photography experts told National Geographic a tripod and a wide-angle lens are best for capturing the northern lights. An aperture or F-stop of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting are also recommended. With a smartphone, NOAA suggests turning on night mode and disabling flash.
The northern lights have been increasingly visible to more people in the U.S. since October 2024, when NASA and NOAA said activity on the sun’s surface achieved a “solar maximum.” This peak comes throughout the sun’s 11-year cycle and matches a “solar minimum,” indicating a corresponding rise and decline in solar events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These events produce the colorful, swirling displays of the aurora borealis as they disrupt Earth’s geomagnetic field. Electrons collide with oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere and become “excited” before releasing energy in the form of light. A “solar maximum” is expected to persist through early 2026, NOAA and NASA said.