Will you see the Northern Lights tonight? Solar activity over the weekend is forecasted by space weather experts to potentially cause a G2 geomagnetic storm on Sunday, Oct. 27 — and a display of aurora borealis across northern U.S. states.
However, this will not be a “severe” event, as on Oct. 10/11 and May 10’s extreme G5 geomagnetic storm, when the northern lights were viewed across the U.S. as far south as Arizona and Florida.
Which U.S. States Could See Aurora Tonight?
A G2-class geomagnetic storm will likely occur, during which displays of aurora are generally seen as far south as New York and Idaho.
From west to east, that means U.S. states that could see aurora — likely occurring in northern skies — include Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, upstate New York and Maine.
When To See See Aurora Tonight
NOAA is predicting Kp levels of 4.67-5 between 03:00 and 12:00 UTC on Monday, Oct. 28, which is 10 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 27 and into Monday, Oct. 28, with the highest spike of Kp 5 predicted between at 1:00-4:00 a.m. EDT on Monday.
Skywatchers are advised to check NOAA’s aurora view line, which is available for tonight and tomorrow night, and its 30-minute forecast and X account, where the latest forecasts are posted.
Why The Northern Lights Are Active This Week
The forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center comes in the wake of a spike in solar activity in the past week.
An X3.3 class solar flare was detected by NASA’s satellites on Thursday, Oct. 24, which was quickly followed by a lesser M1.2 class solar flare. On Friday, Oct. 25 there was an M1.1 class solar flare and on Saturday, Oct. 26 there was a M1.6 solar flare.
Solar activity is currently at a 23-year high, with NOAA and NASA recently confirming that the sun’s solar maximum period has arrived, meaning intense Northern Lights are likely for the next year or so.
The Northern Lights are caused by the solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the sun interacting with Earth’s magnetic field. As charged particles strike Earth’s magnetic field, they accelerate down its magnetic field lines at the north and south poles to create ovals of green and red.
How The Aurora’s Kp Index Works
The predicted displays of aurora borealis have predicted Kp index of up to 5. According to NOAA:, that means “the aurora will move further from the poles, it will become brighter, and there will be more auroral activity (motion and formations). If you are in the right place, these aurora can be quite pleasing to look at.”
How To Photograph The Northern Lights
Here’s how to use a smartphone to photograph displays of aurora:
- Engage “Night Mode,” which will be good enough to get a more impressive souvenir shot of the aurora. It likely means a long exposure of between five and 10 seconds, which makes the next three steps essential.
- Use your primary lens, NOT the super-wide lens (which is inferior).
- Use a basic smartphone holder and a small tripod to prevent any camera shake, keeping your images sharp.
- Shoot in raw, making it easier to improve your photos using simple edits.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
