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Where Aurora could be visible tonight

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Northern lights could be visible in several states across the continental United States on Monday evening, after a powerful solar flare over the weekend caused solar flares that are expected to result in some aurora sightings in the northern and midwestern states.

Key data

Monday night's aurora has a Kp index of five, meaning there will be more activity as the lights get brighter and are “quite pleasant to view” in optimal weather conditions, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Earlier, a strong G3 geomagnetic storm caused the aurora to have a Kp index of seven on Sunday. NOAA warned that the storm could also affect radio frequencies and GPS connections and cause false alarms in some protection devices.

The storm was caused by a solar X-flare — a burst of energy — that peaked on Saturday and resulted in an auroral-causing coronal mass ejection (or explosion of solar material) that affected Earth on Sunday and Monday.

Where will the Northern Lights be visible?

While it's hard to predict where the Northern Lights will be seen, according to NOAA, they will be most visible in Canada and Alaska on Monday evening (see image below). However, continental U.S. states where the Northern Lights can be seen include Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

What is the best way to see the Northern Lights?

The lights are usually most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. To get the best view of the Northern Lights, the agency recommends traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, monitoring the weather forecast to find optimal viewing conditions, and finding a vantage point such as a mountain top.

What is the best way to photograph the Northern Lights?

Smartphone cameras are sensitive enough to see the Northern Lights even when they are not visible to the naked eye. Visit Iceland, a tourism website for Iceland where the lights are often visible, recommends turning on night mode to maximize the exposure of your smartphone camera.

Important background

Solar Cycle 25 — the cycle the sun goes through about every 11 years — was the cause of geomagnetic storms that recently led to sightings of the Northern Lights, and NASA predicts it will continue into next year as well. Cycle 25 began in December 2019 and is expected to peak between late 2024 and early 2026 — when activity will be at its peak. It is expected to peak at 115 sunspots, where geomagnetic storms originate. Although the maximum has not yet been reached, solar activity has been stronger than scientists expected, so it's possible there will be even more geomagnetic storms between now and 2026, although it's difficult to predict exactly when these storms will occur.

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