20 States May See Aurora Tuesday Night

The northern lights may be seen in U.S. states Tuesday, March 31, through Wednesday, April 1, after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a geomagnetic storm watch, warning that a “moderate” G2 or “strong” G3-class geomagnetic storm is possible. Geomagnetic effects may include auroras, likely in the northern sky in the hours after dark on March 31.

The root cause is an X1.5-class solar flare — an intense blast of radiation that travels at light speed — on March 30, which erupted from sunspot AR 4405. It produced a coronal mass ejection — a cloud of charged particles that causes aurora when interacting with Earth’s magnetic field — that, crucially, was Earth-directed.

A full pink moon will be in the sky after dark and will shine all night, making it harder to see faint aurora.

Northern Lights Alert: Where And When To Look

NOAA’s aurora view line shows the northern lights potentially visible — most likely low on the northern horizon — in up to 20 U.S. states near the Canada border. States in pole position include Alaska and (northerly parts of) Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine. A G2-class geomagnetic storm could potentially make aurora viewable from states much farther south, such as Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.

For the best views, wait until the moon is down, using a light pollution map and a Dark Sky Place Finder (though finding a clear sky will also be essential). The clearer and darker the northern sky, the more vibrant the display — even during moderate geomagnetic storms.

Northern Lights Alert: Latest Updates

The exact timing of space weather is difficult to predict because it depends on the speed of the solar wind. Continually monitor NOAA’s 30-minute aurora forecast and SpaceWeatherLive.com, as well as apps such as Aurora Now, My Aurora Forecast, SpaceWeatherLive or Glendale Aurora, which provide live solar wind data.

Look for data on the interplanetary magnetic field’s Bz component, which determines how easily solar energy enters Earth’s magnetosphere. When Bz points north, Earth’s field resists it; when Bz swings south, the two fields connect, allowing plasma to stream in. A sustained southward Bz of -5 nT or stronger usually signals an imminent display of aurora.

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How To Photograph The Northern Lights

If your smartphone has a Night Mode or Pro Mode, you can capture a beautiful aurora photo with these steps:

• Use your main lens, not the ultra-wide, for sharper results.
• Stabilize the camera using a tripod or rest it on a firm surface such as a car roof, wall, or post.
• Shoot in RAW format if available, as it makes post-editing easier.
• Expect long exposures between five and ten seconds. Even faint glows that look grayish to the eye often appear vividly green, purple or red in photos.

What Causes The Northern Lights

The solar wind — streams of charged particles flowing from the sun and interacting with Earth’s magnetic field — causes the northern and southern lights. While most are deflected, some particles spiral along magnetic field lines toward the poles, colliding with oxygen and nitrogen atoms high in the atmosphere. These collisions excite the gases, causing them to release energy as shimmering light.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.