Another round of auroras are being triggered by streams of solar wind and charged particles from the sun this evening

NEED TO KNOW

• The northern lights may be visible tonight due to solar wind and geomagnetic storm activity
• Visibility is best in northern states like Alaska, Minnesota and Maine, but could extend further south if conditions strengthen
• For the best view, find a dark location away from city lights and check real-time aurora forecasts

The sun is putting on a spectacle, and the sky is about to get colorful!

Two fast-moving streams of solar wind, along with up to two passing bursts of charged particles from the sun, could make the northern lights visible late on Tuesday, Sept. 15, into early Wednesday, Sept. 16.

For reference, the northern lights (aurora borealis) are a result of geomagnetic storms, which occur when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, creating brilliant waves of light in the sky. Still, their visibility depends on several factors, including intensity and location.

Forecasters at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centers expect conditions to reach at least a minor G1 geomagnetic storm, while the U.K. Met Office says a stronger G2 burst remains possible.

This means the aurora might be worth staying awake for, especially with a crescent moon adorning the night sky.

In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about this stellar event.

When will the northern lights be visible?

If you never caught a glimpse of the northern lights, you might be in luck!

Look north after dark on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and keep an eye on the sky through the pre-dawn hours on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The most promising window is generally the darkest part of the night, after a crescent moon has set.

Where will the northern lights be visible?

The northern lights may be notoriously fickle, but they’re always worth staying up for!

At G1 levels, the best odds are across Alaska and northern parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.

However, if activity briefly reaches G2, the auroral glow could extend further south, including parts of Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania and New York.

How to watch the northern lights?

Find a dark location away from city lights, ideally with a clear view of the northern sky.

The darker your surroundings, the more vivid the aurora colors will appear. Remember to also keep tabs on real-time conditions using NOAA’s 30-minute aurora forecast and space-weather apps that track solar wind and magnetic field changes.

How to photograph the northern lights?

If you’re hoping to photograph the northern lights, you’ll want to keep your setup as steady as possible, since the auroras are best captured with long exposures. But if you have a smartphone handy, that works just fine.

All you have to do is head to your device’s settings and tap the “Night Mode” option or “Pro Mode” with similar exposure times.

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