Northern Lights Alert is going out across parts of the United States tonight, and if you live in the right state, you might get a rare chance to see the aurora borealis without booking a flight to Alaska or Iceland. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a geomagnetic storm watch for the night of October 8 into October 9, with activity expected to pick up around 11 p.m. ET Thursday and a potentially stronger window around 5 a.m. ET Friday.
Which States Could See the Aurora Tonight?
This is the most searchable part for Northern Lights Alert, people want to know; will this amazing cosmic event be visible from their home.
If the storm stays at G1 level, the aurora should be visible across Alaska and 11 northern states. These are – Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
If the storm strengthens to G2, the auroral oval could expand into 10 additional states. Their names are – Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and New York.
By combining, the total reach of tonight’s Northern Lights Alert to 22 states, plus Alaska and parts of Canada. Areas that are closest to the Canadian border have the best odds, while states toward the southern end of that list, like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, will only see a faint glow low on the horizon, and only if the storm reaches its stronger G2 level.
What Triggered This Northern Lights Alert?
This Northern Lights Alert started with the activity happens on the sun. On October 6, Sun produced an M1.4 solar flare, followed by a full halo coronal mass ejection, or CME. A CME is a massive burst of charged particles and magnetic material released by the Sun in the space. When this burst of charged particles is aimed directly at Earth, scientists call it a full halo event, because the cloud appears to surround the Sun in satellite images. That is exactly what happened here, and it is why this Northern Lights Alert is being taken seriously by forecasters.
When the Sun released CME, it takes few days to reach the Earth. When its particles interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, they can create a geomagnetic storm. And that storm is the reason to produce beautiful event, aurora borealis, also called Northern Lights. It lights up the whole sky with beautiful colors.
How Strong Will the Storm Be?
NOAA is expecting that, this this Northern Lights Alert brings G1 to G2-class geomagnetic storm conditions. On NOAA’s five-level scale, G1 means a minor storm, while G2 is considered as moderate storm. These levels are much weaker than extreme G4 or G5 storms, which can sometimes push the aurora as far south as Mexico. Even so, a G1 to G2 storm can still make the Northern Lights visible much farther from the Arctic than usual. This means people in some northern parts of the U.S. may have a good chance of seeing the aurora if the storm becomes strong enough.
How to Actually See It?
Seeing the aurora during a G1 to G2 storm takes a bit more effort than during a major solar storm, so location and timing both matter. To get a proper view go as far away from city lights as much possible, because the light pollution is one of the biggest reasons people miss faint auroras entirely. Find a dark and clear spot, and then look towards the northern horizon rather than straight overhead, since that is usually where the glow first appears during a moderate storm.
Timing also matters. The best timing tonight are around 11 p.m. ET and again near 5 a.m. ET, when geomagnetic activity is expected to peak. Once reaching to the spot, give your eyes at least ten to fifteen minutes to adjust in the darkness before deciding nothing is visible.
There is also a simple trick that can help during a borderline Northern Lights Alert. Your phone camera is often more sensitive to faint light than your eyes. Even if the sky looks mostly dark, pointing your smartphone’ camera towards the northern horizon and using night mode with a few seconds of exposure. You may capture soft green or pink colors that are difficult to see with your naked eyes.
Why Auroras Are Reaching the US More Often?
If you feel like Northern Lights Alerts have been appearing more often lately, there is a good reason for it. The Sun goes through an 11-year cycle of activity, and we are currently around the peak of Solar Cycle 25. During this active phase, the Sun produces more sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
All of this extra solar activity can lead to more geomagnetic storms around Earth. As a result, the Northern Lights have been showing up farther south across the U.S. more often than they normally do. Scientists expect the Sun to remain relatively active through 2026, so more aurora displays could still be on the way.
Conclusion
Nothing about this Northern Lights Alert is guaranteed. Space weather is much harder to predict than regular weather like snow or rain, and the strength of a geomagnetic storm can change as the CME gets closer to Earth. Still, a full-halo CME is already heading our way, and NOAA is closely monitoring the situation. That gives skywatchers across parts of the northern and central U.S. a real chance to see the aurora borealis tonight. If you are in one of the 22 states listed above, it costs nothing to step outside after dark, look north, and give your eyes, or your phone camera, a chance to catch the show.