Topline
The northern lights may be visible Saturday night in about ten states across the northern United States, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast, as geomagnetic storms set for later this weekend indicate an even stronger light show on Sunday.
Key Facts
Saturday night’s northern lights forecast will have a Kp index of 4, the level of geomagnetic activity measured on a scale of zero to nine, indicating lights that can be “quite pleasing to look at.”
NOAA forecasts the lights could be visible in about 10 states Saturday night, but even more states may be able to catch the light show on Sunday following minor-to-moderate geomagnetic storms expected to take place in the early hours of Sunday and Monday.
Sunday’s Kp index is expected to reach a level of 5, with the lights possibly visible in about three more states.
NOAA also forecasts about a 30% chance of radio blackouts over the weekend.
Where Will The Northern Lights Be Visible?
Alaskans have the best shot of seeing the northern lights Saturday night, as NOAA forecasts nearly the entire state has a high likelihood of an aurora. Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota also have a moderate likelihood. Other states along the aurora’s projected view line, the point with the lowest likelihood of catching the northern lights, include Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine.
What’s The Best Way To See The Northern Lights?
The northern lights are most visible when it is dark out, particularly at night between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, NOAA says. The agency recommends finding the highest vantage point possible, traveling far north and avoiding light pollution to get the best view of the lights.
What’s The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights?
National Geographic says the lights can be best photographed by using a wide-angle lens and a tripod for stability. Night mode on an iPhone can also help capture the northern lights. National Geographic also recommends using an aperture value of 4.0 or lower and adding details to the image by capturing trees, bodies of water or mountains to frame the picture.
Key Background
The northern lights have made regular appearances in American skies over the past year because of heightened solar activity, including solar flares and geomagnetic storms. NASA said the lights hit a 500-year peak last year, which the agency expects to continue throughout 2025 until the lights decrease in activity in 2026 and throughout the latter part of the decade. The sun has been so active because it is currently in its “solar maximum,” the period of its 11-year solar cycle during which solar events, like flares and storms, are more common. Some of the strongest solar flares in decades have been observed over the past year, including an X9.0-level flare in October, which caused northern lights to be visible as south as Florida.
Tangent
NOAA, the agency that issues northern lights forecasts, but also forecasts the weather, monitors climate and works on coastal restoration, has been targeted by President Donald Trump’s administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency for layoffs. More than 580 staffers, including scientists and meteorologists, have been fired, ABC News reported, with more layoffs possible. The Trump administration is also considering terminating two NOAA leases, one for a weather prediction center in Maryland and another for a radar operations center in Oklahoma, the Washington Post reported. Rick Spinrad, former NOAA administrator, called the firings “misguided” and “ill-informed” at a press conference in which he and other former NOAA leaders warned the layoffs could negatively impact sea navigation, air safety and weather forecasting accuracy.
Further Reading
Northern Lights Displays Hit A 500-Year Peak In 2024—Here’s Where You Could Catch Aurora Borealis In 2025 (Forbes)
As NOAA cuts loom, scientists and industry are pushing back (The Washington Post)
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