The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a G2 geomagnetic storm watch for Tuesday, which has the potential to cause the Northern Lights to be visible in several continental U.S. states.
A solar filament eruption, which is when cooler regions of the sun are active, caused coronal mass ejections—eruptions of solar material—to leave the sun early Sunday morning, and NOAA predicts these aurora-causing CMEs will arrive to Earth Tuesday.
However, there may be a chance some U.S. states will see the lights Monday: Monday night’s aurora will have a Kp index of four, meaning the lights will become brighter and be “quite pleasing to look at” if weather conditions are optimal
Solar activity has been unusually busy in recent months as the sun’s 11-year solar cycle approaches its anticipated peak between late 2024 and early 2026, with sunspots expected to intensify over the next year, and likely triggering more geomagnetic storms.
Although it’s hard to pinpoint where the Northern Lights will show up, they may be the most visible Monday night in Canada and Alaska,
However, continental U.S. states within the aurora’s view line include Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine and the northernmost parts of New York.
For the best views of the Northern Lights, the agency advises traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, monitoring weather forecasts for prime viewing conditions and finding a position on a vantage point like a hilltop.