The peak of the current solar cycle is ongoing, bringing spectacular views of the northern lights to several U.S. states.
A moderate solar storm is bringing a view of the aurora borealis to the northernmost states in the continental U.S. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center rated the magnitude of this storm as a five out of a scale of nine for Sunday and Monday, meaning the highest possibility of the display being visible in the continental U.S. would be in states including Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin.
Viewing conditions are also favorable but less likely for parts of Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming, according to NOAA’s aurora forecast viewline.
The northern lights fill the sky with green ribbons of electrical charged particles over the barn and pastures at Greaney’s Turkey Farm in Mercer, Maine, May 11, 2024.
Michael Seamans/Getty Images
The sun is currently in its solar maximum, meaning the stage of its cycle when solar activity and energy discharge is the highest. That in turn has been producing an uptick in northern lights activity over the past several months as coronal mass ejections (CME) – large expulsions of magnetized plasma from the Sun’s corona – travel to Earth and interact with the atoms and molecules in Earth’s outer atmosphere, creating the spectrum of green to pink colors in the night sky, according to NOAA.
The exact timing and location of the northern lights is difficult to predict because the sun is 93 million miles away, and it often takes days for the CMEs to reach Earth, according to space experts.
You can sign up for alerts that an aurora may be visible in your area by using a citizen science platform called Aurorasaurus. The platform can also send alerts regarding where the northern lights are being seen in real time, based on user reports.
The night sky in Wisconsin glows with the Northern Lights as a geomagnetic storm brings vibrant pink and green colors to a majority of the northern states, Oct. 10, 2024.
Ross Harried/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The hours before and after midnight are the best times to view the northern lights, according to NOAA. Ensuring a dark setting, both by choosing a viewing site away from light pollution and ensuring your eyes stay adjusted to the dark, also enhance the viewing experience.
Smartphones and digital cameras are also more sensitive to capturing the array of colors in the aurora displays, according to NASA.