The northern lights danced across the US last night. It could happen again Saturday. (2024)

Amazing auroras sparked by a massive solar stormthe strongest in decades — set the world abuzz Friday night as colorful glowing light radiated into the skies as far south as Florida and the Bahamas, to the surprising delight of many who waited up and kept watch.

And good news for anyone who missed it: You may get another chance Saturday night or Sunday.

"Overnight, aurora were visible across much of the United States. Weather permitting, they may be visible again tonight," the Space Weather Prediction Center said in a Saturday morning update. A later update suggests the possibility of widespread viewing in the U.S. on Sunday too.

(A word of caution, experts have previously told USA TODAY that forecasting space weather is difficult. Researchers must rely on observations of the 93-million-miles-away sun to make their predictions.)

Northern lights are only visible at night time, and experts say it's best to view them away from the hustle and bustle of city life to get the best show. Still, Americans in cities said they could see the lights overnight, including in metro Detroit.

Wisconsinites got to see the lights dance across the sky in green and purple hues. Even residents of downtown Milwaukee caught a glimpse despite the bright city lights obstructing the view.

See photos:Northern lights on full display across US, Europe on Friday

Will the aurora be visible this weekend?

It could be.

The Space Weather Prediction Center offers an experimental forecast map that showed on Saturday the aurora may be visible Saturday in a wide swath of the U.S., possibly in states including Oregon, Nebraska, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New York. But visibility will depend on shifting factors that include weather.

For Sunday, space weather forecasters said the aurora could become visible again over the northern half of the country, with sights extending as far south as Alabama and northern California. The effects of that storm are expected to arrive Sunday morning ET.

What is the cloud forecast Saturday night? Will clouds block the northern lights?

If you missed the aurora borealis Friday night, you might still catch a glimpse on Saturday or Sunday, depending on where you live.But not if clouds get in the way.

The cloud forecast for Saturday night is generally good for most of America, but some of the people who missed their chance last night due to clouds may have a similar problem Saturday, said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines. Areas that are likely to be cloudy include New England and Mid-Atlantic regions, as well as parts of the Southern Plains, including Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.

“Even just a few breaks in the clouds will allow the aurora to be visible,” Kines said. “There’s always hope.”

Peak visibility time Saturday night will be between 9 p.m. and midnight, with some chance until 2 a.m., Kines said. The best views will be in dark areas away from the light pollution of cities, he said, though some reported seeing the auroras Friday night from metro areas like Milwaukee and Detroit.

Sunday night, if there is any aurora to see, those in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic can rejoice, because Kines said the skies should be clearer.

What is causing the northern lights this weekend?

The spectacle is being caused by geomagnetic storm that erupted from a sunspot cluster on the sun.

The storm was unusually strong — classified as "extreme" (or a G5) storm, the highest level, theSpace Weather Prediction Centersaid Friday evening. It's the first G5 storm to hit our planet since 2003.

The geomagnetic storm's effects (which aren't all as pretty as the northern lights) are likely to linger through the weekend. TheSpace Weather Prediction Centersaid the storm is likely to continue through Sunday.

"There have been reports of power grid irregularities and degradation to high-frequency communications and GPS," the Space Weather Prediction Center said in a Saturday morning update.

The northern lights danced across the US last night. It could happen again Saturday. (2)

Where were the northern lights seen on Friday night?

Across much of the United States and Europe where skies were clear — as far south as Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona.

To the great disappointment of many in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, cloud cover dimmed or obstructed the stunning display altogether.

Although it's unusual, auroras have been seen in the far southern United States in the past. This happens when a particularly large coronal mass ejection arrives in the Earth's outer atmosphere, triggering a geomagnetic storm, NOAA reports.

The northern lights danced across the US last night. It could happen again Saturday. (3)

On the night of Nov. 5-6, 2001, aurora displays were seen in Texas and Arizona.

What causes the aurora?

NASA describes an aurora as an "intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and the Earth."

The Sun's activity creates strong electrical currents known as geomagnetic storms.

These eruptions are mostly happening at a large, complex sunspot cluster, NOAA'S Space Weather Prediction Center said. Sunspots, which increase and decreaseon a 11-year cycle, are areas where the magnetic field is about 2,500 times stronger than Earth's.

The northern lights danced across the US last night. It could happen again Saturday. (5)

The reason the auroras move is because of how the Sun's ionized gases interact with the Earth's magnetic field.

The northern lights danced across the US last night. It could happen again Saturday. (6)

If you took a great photo, NASA wants to know

In a collaboration with the National Science Foundation and the New Mexico Consortium aurora sightings and photos are being collected at the Aurorasaurus web page.

Why was the aurora borealis so red on Friday?

Mike Theiss, an extreme nature photographer and hurricane storm chaser, who lives in Florida was shocked to see posts Friday night about how far south people were seeing the auroras. To his amazement, he was able to step out of his front door in Key Largo in the Florida Keys and see and photograph the aurora. Hours later he was still incredulous, and surprised at the colors in the aurora.

"I’ve documented the Northern Lights in Iceland, North Dakota, Arctic Circle in Canada but never this red color," Theiss said. "This is the first time I’ve seen red."

The multiple colors seen in auroras are related to the types of gas being bombarded at various levels above the Earth. Auroras occur within one of Earth's upper atmosphere layers, the thermosphere, according to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

Solar particles trapped there interact with various gas molecules, such as nitrogen and oxygen, according to the research corporation's website. Oxygen gives off green and red lights, while nitrogen glows blue and reddish purple. For example, nitrogen gas glows blue at 75 to 110 miles altitude.

The less common red auroras form from interacting with higher altitude oxygen molecules, the website explains.

The northern lights danced across the US last night. It could happen again Saturday. (7)

'Two incredible spectacles of the universe': Northern lights come about a month after eclipse

Seeing the aurora amazed Antonella Fruscione, an astrophysicist at Harvard University. She sent photos of the sight as well as the April total solar eclipse to her friends in Italy.

"And I sent them the picture that I took at the solar eclipse and I said, 'Can you imagine how fortunate I was this year, one month apart, I see these two incredible spectacles of the universe,'" she recalled telling them.

The phenomena seen Friday and possibly Saturday night is unusual, she said.

"It's a very rare occurrence, especially because last night it was really visible," Fruscione said.

What was the Halloween storm in October 2003?

Over two decades ago in late October 2003, three massive sunspot groups appeared on the sun's surface with little warning, accompanied by 17 major solar flares, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Satellites, radio and GPS systems went on the fritz around the world, causing some major disruptions. But it also offered a stunning view of the auroras as far south as California and Florida. People in Australia and Mediterranean countries even caught a glimpse.

Contributing: Doyle Rice and Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY

The northern lights danced across the US last night. It could happen again Saturday. (2024)

FAQs

When can we see the northern lights again? ›

Best dates to see the northern lights in the U.S.

The solar storms that cause the northern lights are hard to predict, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center, but experts believe that they may be visible again in the U.S. at some point between November 2024 and March 2026, when the latest solar cycle peaks.

What does it mean when the northern lights are dancing? ›

However, the Earth's magnetic field is weakest at the poles and so some of the particles enter the atmosphere, colliding with gas particles. It is this collision that emits lights in the sky that appear to dance, with the lights extending from 80 kilometres high to as high as 640 kilometres above the Earth's surface.

Has the northern lights ever been seen in the US? ›

Bigfork, Montana. You can't count on seeing the aurora borealis in Northern Montana every year, but when conditions are just right, you can spot them perfectly from Flathead Lake.

Why were the northern lights so far south last night? ›

This southward shift is related to the strength of the storm. The weekend's storm was a particularly strong event such that the aurora could be seen from Northern California and the southern states.

How often do the Northern Lights appear? ›

The northern lights occur year-round, nearly every single day of the year, but they're not always visible. You need to have the right viewing conditions to see them. The most important factor is darkness.

How long will the Northern Lights last? ›

The aurora often occur for a few glorious minutes at a time. A good display may last between 15 and 30 minutes, although if you're really lucky, it could extend to a couple of hours or longer.

What happens when you see the northern lights? ›

Auroras occur when these charged particles launched along Earth's magnetic field collide with gases in Earth's upper atmosphere. Those collisions produce tiny flashes that fill the sky with colourful light. This light works the same way as a neon lamp or an old cathode ray tube television set.

Do northern lights make noise? ›

Auroral sounds have been described as “eerie” sounds similar to white noise on radio and television, but have long been dismissed as being caused by meteorological phenomena or other unrelated events. . However, recent scientific research confirms that the Northern Lights do indeed make sounds.

What state in the United States can you see the northern lights? ›

Experts added that northern lights are only visible at night and away from big city centers. The most likely areas to get a clear encore of the northern lights are Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Nebraska, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Will 2024 be a good year for the northern lights? ›

If the northern lights have a permanent spot on your travel bucket list, 2024 should be the year you finally cross 'em off. Why? Scientists and astronomers are predicting this will be the best year to see the aurora borealis in over a decade.

Where to see aurora in 2024? ›

  • Northern lights display during a Hurtigruten Astronomy Voyage, Norway. ( ...
  • Northern lights above STF Abisko Turiststation, January 2024. ( ...
  • Aurora over Kirkjufell, near Grundarfjordur, Iceland. ( ...
  • Alaska's arctic environment is the perfect place to see the northern lights. (
Feb 29, 2024

When was the solar flare in 2024? ›

From May 3 through May 9, 2024, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory observed 82 notable solar flares. The flares came mainly from two active regions on the Sun called AR 13663 and AR 13664.

How long will the solar storm last in 2024? ›

May 2024 solar storms
VIIRS image showing the aurora borealis over the Northern Hemisphere on 10–11 May.
TypeGeomagnetic storm
Formed10 May 2024
Dissipated13 May 2024
Areas affectedWorldwide
7 more rows

Why are we seeing more Northern Lights? ›

Increased solar activity causes auroras that dance around Earth's poles, known as the northern lights, or aurora borealis, and southern lights, or aurora australis.

Are there more Northern Lights in the winter? ›

You are more likely to see the northern lights in winter, between the months of October and April. This is because the night sky is darker in winter and there are fewer daylight hours. You need darkness to be able to spot the colours of the aurora borealis, as they are harder to see in daylight.

Are Northern Lights disappearing? ›

While the lights will not disappear, your chances of seeing them will be more limited to this zone during the Solar Minimum. The message is plain and simple; If you want to maximise your chances of seeing the Northern Lights then the 'Aurora Zone' is where you should travel.

What are the Northern Lights called? ›

What is the aurora? The aurora can be seen near the poles of both the northern and southern hemisphere. In the north the display is known as the aurora borealis; in the south it is called the aurora australis. These 'northern' and 'southern lights' have fascinated, frightened and inspired humans for centuries.

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