Aurora Borealis May Be Visible in These States Saturday

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Parts of the northern US may have a chance to see the northern lights on Saturday night; This is the latest opportunity to see this phenomenon as activity on the sun’s surface reaches a “solar maximum,” according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast.

The northern lights can be seen in states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and North Dakota.

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Basic Information

Auroral activity to guess Saturday night’s Kp index was set at three out of nine. Meaning The northern lights will be further south from the North Pole and will be “pretty nice to look at” for those in the right areas.

The Sun on Wednesday emitted an based on To NASA.

There were some radio outages caused by solar radiation on Friday. based on Heading into NOAA and into Monday, there is a possibility of stronger radiation from solar flares that could pose a risk to passengers and crew on planes at higher altitudes.

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Where to See the Northern Lights?

Northern Canada and Alaska will be more likely to see the northern lights, and the line of sight will drop to just below the Canadian border, marking the minimum opportunity to see the phenomenon. Areas in northern Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota will have a low chance of seeing aurora activity, while parts of South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan will have a lower chance. (See display row below.)

Line of sight on Saturday night.

NOAA

What’s the Best Way to See the Northern Lights?

NOAA said the lights are best seen between 10pm and 2am local time from a high vantage point, away from light pollution.

What’s the Best Way to Photograph the Northern Lights?

A normal camera with a wide aperture, slow shutter speed and high ISO, with focus set to the farthest possible setting, will be able to capture the northern lights, based on To Adobe. Iceland’s tourism website if you’re using a smartphone recommends turning on night mode and a slower shutter speed.

Key Background

According to NASA, there has been an increase in sunspots and coronal mass ejections in recent weeks as the sun reaches its peak during Solar Cycle 25, its 11-year cycle. These space weather events impact Earth with solar radiation and geomagnetic storms, which pull the auroras further south. Opportunities to see the northern lights will likely increase through 2025 and early 2026, according to NOAA and NASA. Other celestial events also intensified; A series of annual meteor showers and comets have become visible in the night sky. The Southern Taurus meteor showers, which have been active since September 23, will reach their peak on Sunday, while the Northern Taurus meteor showers will peak between November 11 and 12. Other meteor showers, including the Leonids, will also appear later this year. Geminids, Ursids and Quadrantids.