Where will the Northern Lights be seen tonight? The Northern Lights could be visible across the continental US this week – particularly on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 – after space weather forecasts predicted favorable geomagnetic storm conditions.

On Tuesday, November 26, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center released an updated auroral forecast for this week. It says the Northern Lights can be seen from New York to Wisconsin to Washington state.

Why Northern Lights are Expected

After a quiet period on the Sun in recent weeks following an impressive burst in mid-October, there is now a renewed possibility that aurorae will appear at relatively southern latitudes after solar flares and coronal mass ejections strengthen the solar wind. On Monday, November 25th, an M9.4 solar flare was discovered on the Sun, very close to a strong X-class flare. This was followed by a coronal mass ejection, an ejection of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s hotter outer atmosphere, its corona.

Additionally, the sunspot from which it emerged is rotating toward Earth, so more solar flares are likely this week.

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Where you can see the Northern Lights

A G1 geomagnetic storm is forecast for Thursday, November 28th and a G2 geomagnetic storm is forecast for Friday, November 29th. G2 storms are generally seen as far south as New York and Idaho. However, it is difficult for space weather researchers to predict exactly what would happen. If a G3 geomagnetic storm hits, auroras could be seen as far south as Illinois and Oregon. On Wednesday, November 27th, geomagnetic activity is expected to be below G1.

Sky watchers are encouraged to check NOAA’s Aurora Sightline, available for tonight and tomorrow evening, as well as the 30-minute forecast, where the latest forecasts are posted. Those in the UK should visit Lancaster University’s AuroraWatch website.

The best way to see the Northern Lights

If a display is predicted for the US, avoiding light pollution is imperative. Recommended locations include an International Dark Sky Place (US/Worldwide), a Dark-Sky Preserve (Canada), or a Starlight Reserve (Spain). Another option is to consult a light pollution map. Any place with a dark northern horizon is a good potential location.

However, the best and most reliable way to see the Northern Lights is to travel north, in the Northern Hemisphere, between September and March (when there is sufficient darkness). That means Alaska, northern Canada and northern Scandinavia (Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland).

A G1 (Minor) watch was issued for November 28th and a G2 (Moderate) watch was issued for November 29th, 2024.

What causes the Northern Lights?

The solar wind causes the northern lights. It is a stream of charged particles from the Sun that interact with the Earth’s magnetic field.

When charged particles hit the Earth’s magnetic field, they accelerate along the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles, creating green and red ovals.

Auroras are typically seen in polar regions at about 70 degrees north and south latitude, but under extreme geomagnetic conditions – usually when CMEs arrive on Earth in succession or in tandem – the aurora oval can bulge and then be visible up to 40 degrees north and south.

Why solar activity is so high

Solar activity is currently at its highest level in 23 years, with the extreme geomagnetic storm G5 of May 10 being the most severe in the last two decades and possibly in hundreds of years.

According to NASA and NOAA, the sun is now in its “solar maximum” period, which means stronger solar wind and a higher chance of more southern aurora borealis for at least the next year.

The Sun has an 11-year cycle in which its magnetic activity waxes and wanes. Its level is calculated daily by counting sunspots. Sunspots are magnetic disturbances on the Sun’s surface that can be as large as the Earth. The number of sunspots in a day indicates how magnetically active the sun is.

I wish you clear skies and big eyes.