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Additional U.S. states may have renewed opportunities to see the Northern Lights after the lights were visible as far south as Texas and Mississippi on Monday due to a severe Category G4 geomagnetic storm.
DNIPRO, UKRAINE – May 11: The Aurora Borealis, commonly known as Northern Lights, are visible on … (+)
Key data
Wednesday night’s aurora has a Kp index of three, meaning there will be more activity as the lights get brighter and are “quite beautiful to view” in optimal weather conditions, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This comes after strong geomagnetic storms – reaching the strength of G4 storms – earlier this week caused northern lights to be visible as far south as Mississippi, Texas, Arizona and southern parts of California.
Monday night’s G4 storm was one of the most intense solar storms the continental United States has experienced since the spectacular G5 light show in May, when the northern lights were visible even deep in the south.
The storms were triggered by a solar X-flare – an outburst of energy – that peaked on Saturday and led to an aurora-causing coronal mass ejection (or explosion of solar material) that hit Earth on Sunday and Monday.
Solar activity has been unusually high in recent months as the 11-year solar cycle approaches its expected peak between late 2024 and early 2026. Over the next year, sunspots are expected to become stronger and likely trigger more geomagnetic storms.
Where will the Northern Lights be visible?
While it’s difficult to say exactly where the Northern Lights will be seen, according to NOAA, they will be most visible in Canada and Alaska on Wednesday evening (see image below). However, continental U.S. states that will be within the aurora’s viewing area include Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Line of sight for the aurora on Wednesday evening.
What is the best way to see the Northern Lights?
The lights are typically most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. To best view the Northern Lights, NOAA recommends traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, monitoring the weather forecast for 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.
