Northern Lights Update: Aurora May Be Visible In Nearly Half Of States Sunday
Twenty-one states may be able to see the northern lights Sunday night into Monday, according to a forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and severe geomagnetic storms are likely.
Northern lights illuminate the sky in Fairbanks, Alaska United States on March 27, 2025.
Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe forecast for the aurora borealis Sunday night has a Kp index of seven on a scale of nine, meaning the lights will “become quite bright and active” and visible from the northern edge of the U.S.
People as far south as Nebraska and Iowa may have a chance at seeing the northern lights Sunday night, as well as people in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
The northern lights can be seen when geomagnetic activity causes ions to collide with atmospheric gases from Earth, causing visible displays.
The three-day forecast from NOAA says G4, or severe, geomagnetic storms are likely Sunday into Monday as the result of a coronal mass ejection, or explosion of plasma and magnetic field, that left the sun on Saturday.
The lights may be visible from Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, most of Wyoming, Idaho, Iowa and New York, and about half of Oregon, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
Northern lights forecast for Sunday, June 1.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNOAA recommends viewing the northern lights from an unobstructed, north-facing vantage point that is far from light pollution, moon light and city lights. The aurora is typically most visible from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. local time as that’s when geomagnetic activity is highest, and the best seasons to view the lights are around the spring and fall equinoxes.
If one is using a traditional camera to capture the northern lights, NASA recommends a wide-angle lens and tripod to help capture quick-moving elements of the aurora. If using a smartphone camera, NASA suggests turning on night mode, long exposure times and a tripod to keep the photos steady.
The strong northern lights forecast continues into Monday night, when there’s a predicted Kp index of five on the scale of nine and about thirteen states are in the viewline.
The northern lights have been more regularly visible for months as the sun’s 11-year cycle reached a “solar maximum” in 2024, increasing the rate of solar fares, coronal mass ejections and other geomagnetic activity that make the lights visible. Scientists expect the increased solar activity to continue into next year and then start decreasing through 2030.
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