Northern Lights forecast for 22 U.S. states and Canada

The aurora borealis is expected to be visible across approximately 22 U.S. states and parts of Canada overnight on Thursday, Oct. 8, and into the early hours of Friday, Oct. 9. This celestial display follows a “full halo” coronal mass ejection (CME) that originated from the sun on Oct. 6.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center has issued alerts for G1 to G2-class geomagnetic storms. Activity is forecasted to begin around 11 p.m. EDT on Thursday, with a potential peak in conditions around 5 a.m. EDT on Friday.

Observers are advised to seek dark locations away from light pollution and look toward the northern horizon. While the lights may appear faint to the naked eye, smartphone cameras using night mode may be able to capture colors such as green and purple.