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A strong geomagnetic storm could cause the Northern Lights to be visible again in the continental US on Friday in states like New York, Wisconsin and Washington, causing the aurora to be “quite bright and active” for observers.
Key facts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association announced a geomagnetic storm watch for Friday caused by a coronal mass ejection – an explosion of solar material – that occurred on Tuesday.
NOAA labeled the geomagnetic storm a “severe” G3 storm, meaning it has the potential to affect power grids, satellites and radio frequencies.
If the geomagnetic storm reaches Earth, the aurora borealis may “become faintly visible along the northern tier horizon and upper northwestern states,” according to NOAA.
Friday night’s aurora borealis had a Kp index of four before NOAA bumped it up to six, meaning the lights will move farther from the poles and appear “quite bright and active” to observers in conditions of right of sight.
Canada and Alaska have a higher chance of seeing the lights, though they may be visible in parts of the continental US through the weekend, according to the aurora forecast.
Solar activity has been extremely busy in recent months as the sun’s 11-year solar cycle approaches its predicted peak between late 2024 and early 2026, with sunspots expected to intensify over the next year and has likely to cause more geomagnetic storms.
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Where will the northern lights be visible tonight?
Although it is difficult to determine exactly where the lights will be visible, NOAA provides a forecast with a possible view (see below). States within view include Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and parts of New York, Vermont, and Maine.
What’s the best way to see the northern lights?
The lights are most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. For the best views of the Northern Lights, NOAA advises traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, and monitoring weather forecasts for conditions main view and find a position on a vantage point like a hilltop. Smartphone cameras are quite sensitive to get the aurora, even when it is invisible to the naked eye. Visit Iceland, a tourism website for Iceland, where the lights are often visible, advises that turning on night mode is best to increase smartphone camera exposure.
Key background
An event called Solar Cycle 25 — the cycle the sun goes through every 11 years — has been the cause of the geomagnetic storms that have resulted in recent Northern Lights sightings, and NASA predicts it will continue next year. Cycle 25 began in December 2019 and is estimated to reach its maximum – when activity is expected to peak – between late 2024 and early 2026. It is predicted to peak at 115 sunspots, where geomagnetic storms originate. Although the maximum has not yet occurred, the sun’s activity has been busier than scientists predicted, so it is possible that there will be even more geomagnetic storms leading up to 2026, although it is difficult to predict exactly when the storms will occur.