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More than a dozen states in the northern U.S. will likely have a chance to see the northern lights Tuesday, as geomagnetic storm conditions are expected to disrupt Earth’s magnetic field, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Minor or greater geomagnetic storms are likely through early Wednesday, forecasters said.
Auroral activity is forecast with a Kp index of five on a scale of nine for Tuesday night, suggesting the aurora borealis will be brighter and more visible farther away from the poles, according to the NOAA.
Minor or greater geomagnetic storms are expected through early Wednesday, as the Earth experiences the effects of winds from a cooler, less dense spot on the sun’s surface, NOAA’s three-day forecast reports.
The northern lights will be nearly as visible Wednesday night before auroral activity calms down on Thursday, with a forecasted Kp index of four and three, respectively.
The northern lights will be most visible across Canada and Alaska, with a lower likelihood forecast for parts of northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, Upper Michigan and northern Wisconsin. Areas in Wyoming, South Dakota, northern Iowa, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine have an even lower likelihood of viewing the phenomenon. (See map below.)
Tuesday's view line.
NOAA recommends traveling to a north-facing, high vantage point away from light pollution to see the northern lights, which the agency said are best seen between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.
A tripod and wide-angle lens are best when capturing the northern lights with a regular camera, photography experts told National Geographic. An aperture or F-stop of four or less is also recommended, with a focus set to the furthest possible setting. With a smartphone, NOAA suggests turning on night mode and disabling flash.
A peak in solar activity will persist into early 2026, according to NASA’s projections, after a “solar maximum” was achieved on the sun’s surface in October 2024. A “solar maximum” and “solar minimum” are reached at different points throughout the sun’s 11-year cycle, indicating a rise or decline in solar events like coronal mass ejections and solar flares. These events are responsible for the northern lights as their electrons collide with oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth’s atmosphere. This intersection causes these electrons to become “excited” before they release the swirling displays of the aurora borealis.