It’s hard to predict where the Northern Lights will show up, but they may be the most visible Thursday night in Canada and Alaska
However, continental U.S. states within the aurora’s view line include Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
The lights are typically the most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. For the best views of the Northern Lights
What’s The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights? Smartphone cameras are sensitive enough to pick up the aurora, even when it’s invisible to the naked eye.
Solar Cycle 25—the cycle the sun goes through around every 11 years—has been the cause of geomagnetic storms that have resulted in recent sightings of the Northern Lights, and NASA predicts it will continue on into next year.
Cycle 25 began in Dec. 2019, and it’s estimated it will reach its maximum—when activity is expected to peak—between late 2024 and early 2026.
Although the maximum hasn’t happened yet, the sun’s activity has been busier than scientists anticipated, so it’s possible there will be even more geomagnetic storms leading up to 2026, though it’s difficult to predict exactly when these storms will occur.