The Northern Lights are a bucket list item for a very good reason. These dazzling auroras are spectacular to behold, lighting up the night sky with a range of different colors. There are certain parts of the world that are famous for regular aurora borealis activity—specifically those in the "auroral zone" closer to the North Pole. But if you don't have plans to head to Alaska or Norway any time soon, that doesn't mean the Northern Lights are off the table. In fact, they might be visible over certain parts of the U.S. in the early morning hours tomorrow.
RELATED: 8 Best Places to See the Northern Lights in 2024.
According to an alert issued today by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), the aurora "may become visible over some northern and upper Midwest states from New York to Idaho." According to Fox Weather, those in Washington, North Dakota, and South Dakota could be treated to a Northern Lights display as well.
The aurora is the result of a coronal mass ejection (CME)—otherwise known as an eruption of solar material—that could create a geomagnetic storm when it reaches Earth. The CME erupted back on July 21, per NOAA.
Model predictions suggest that the window for the solar storm's arrival will start in the early hours of July 24, space weather physicist Tamitha Skov, PhD, said in a July 22 post on X. However, the storm might be "fashionably late, due to slow solar wind 'traffic' & an additional glancing storm blow ahead of it," Skov added.
NOAA classifies geomagnetic storms using a G-scale, which goes from G1 (minor storm) to G5 (extreme storm). The latest storm is a G2, meaning it's "moderate." For comparison, the historic solar storm in May was a rare G5—and it was the strongest geomagnetic storm in over 20 years. The auroras were visible across the world, including as far south as Florida.
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To see the aurora, NOAA recommends finding a location where you can see to the north. Getting away from light pollution is helpful, as the auroras are more visible when it's dark. It's also worth noting that the moon is nearly full this week, which can impact the apparent brightness of the aurora. Weather needs to cooperate as well, since clouds can interfere with your viewing party.
If you can see the Northern Lights, chances are you'll want to take some pictures for the memories. The Visit Norway website recommends using an actual camera and adjusting the manual settings to take the best photos of the colorful display. If you only have your phone, it's best to turn off your flash and use manual focus. You can also download different camera replacement apps that change certain camera settings, like your shutter speed.
NOAA suggests checking back on its website for updates regarding tomorrow's aurora. In the alert, the agency noted that "watches of this level are not uncommon," and it's not yet clear exactly when or if the CME will arrive in Earth's atmosphere.
