A portion of the northern U.S. will have an opportunity to see the northern lights Tuesday, though a geomagnetic storm will likely pull the phenomenon further south to become visible for more stargazers, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast.
Aurora borealis may be visible in Alaska, Minnesota and Canada.
Auroral activity is forecast with a Kp index of two on a scale of nine, indicating the northern lights will be farther north on Tuesday and be “quite dim in intensity.”
Minor geomagnetic storm conditions—caused by a burst of energy and particles released by the sun—are expected later Tuesday, which could increase the Kp forecast to a four, meaning the aurora will move further south, become brighter and be “quite pleasing to look at” for those in the right area.
Solar radiation, or energy released by the sun in the form of light waves, may also expose passengers and crew in high-flying aircraft to radiation and cause minor disruption to satellite operations Tuesday, according to NOAA.
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There is a low chance of viewing the northern lights across northern Canada and Alaska, with a view line—marking a minimal likelihood of seeing the phenomenon—sweeping just below the Canadian border. A section of northern Minnesota passes just north of the line, meaning stargazers in this area have a lower likelihood of seeing auroral activity. (See viewing line below.)
Tuesday night's view line.
It’s best to travel away from light pollution to a high vantage point to see the northern lights, which become visible between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to NOAA.
Adobe recommends setting a regular camera’s focus to the farthest possible setting with a wide aperture, low shutter speed and high ISO value. If using a smartphone, Visit Iceland suggests using night mode and a low shutter speed.
NOAA and NASA believe activity on the sun’s surface has reached a “solar maximum,” resulting in more sunspots and coronal mass ejections. This peak is expected to continue into 2025 and early 2026, with more opportunities to see the northern lights in more states. Increased geomagnetic activity in the Earth’s atmosphere earlier this month pulled the northern lights as far south as Texas. Other celestial events have also crossed over the night sky in recent weeks, including the Orionids meteor shower, an “ancient” comet that won’t be seen for another 80,000 years and another comet that became visible during the day.