The Aurora Borealis can be seen in these states on Wednesday night

On November 27, 2024By Littum

Upper line

Auroral activity is expected to be visible in some areas of the northern United States on Wednesday, with a stronger aurora forecast expected throughout Thanksgiving week following a series of events on the sun’s surface, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast.

The northern lights may be visible in states such as Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota.

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Key facts

NOAA forecast a Kp index of three on a scale of nine on Wednesday night, opinion the northern lights will be seen further south from the North Pole and be “quite pleasant to watch” for anyone in the right areas.

Minor, moderate or major geomagnetic storms are likely on Thursday and Friday, raising the Kp index to five and nearly six for each day, respectively, following a filament eruption on the sun’s surface earlier this week. according to to NOAA’s three-day forecast.

NASA forecast up to 16 solar flares and 35 coronal mass ejections from the Sun’s surface this week, including a filament burst—clouds of plasma suspended in the sun’s atmosphere — on Nov. 25, which NOAA said would cause the northern lights to be drawn further south.

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Where will the northern lights be visible?

A sight line – marking a minimal possibility of seeing the northern lights – sweeps just below the Canadian border, while Alaska and northern Canada have a low probability of seeing the northern lights. Parts of northern Montana, North Dakota, and northern Wisconsin have a low chance of seeing the phenomenon, while northeastern Oregon, northern Idaho, northeastern South Dakota, and upper Michigan have an even lower probability. (See view bar below.)

Wednesday night’s line of sight.

NOAA

What is the best way to see the Northern Ligh

NOAA recommends traveling to a high vantage point away from light pollution to view the northern lights, which become visible between 22:00 and 02:00 local time.

What is the best way to photograph the Northern Lights?

A regular camera can capture the Northern Lights with the focus set to the longest possible setting, a wide aperture and a high ISO value. If you’re using a smartphone, Iceland’s tourism website recommend turns on night mode with a wide aperture.

Key background

More sunspots and coronal mass ejections are expected through 2025 and into early 2026, as activity on the Sun’s surface has reached a “solar maximum,” according to NASA. This peak will make the northern lights more visible to more people below the Canadian border, and the activity has already exceeded experts’ expectations throughout the sun’s 11-year cycle that began in 2019. Northern lights activity reached its strongest point earlier this year, according to to NASA, with possibly the strongest northern lights seen in 500 years in May.