northern lights forecast issues surprise warning for US skies this weekend
- Space weather officials have issued a rare G3 geomagnetic storm watch, pushing the northern lights visibility zone into the northern third of the United States from Washington state to New York. This is a significant upgrade from the usual G1 or G2 activity levels.
- The heightened aurora activity is driven by a powerful coronal mass ejection from the sun on Monday, which is now racing toward Earth at over 800 miles per second and is expected to arrive late Friday night. This timing coincides perfectly with the new moon, meaning exceptionally dark skies for optimal viewing.
- Unlike typical alerts that focus on Alaska or Canada, this weekend's forecast extends the northern lights potential down to states like Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and even northern parts of Illinois and upstate New York. Many regions could see a rare, wash of green or red hues on the horizon.
- The prime viewing window is predicted to be between 10 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday local time, with the storm intensity peaking during that six-hour stretch. Experts emphasize getting far away from city lights, finding a clear view of the northern horizon, and allowing 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark.
- Smartphone cameras are actually more sensitive to the aurora than the human eye, so even if you only see a faint white glow, pointing your phone skyward in night mode may capture vivid green and purple streaks that are invisible to the naked eye. This phenomenon has made previous northern lights events go viral when people share their photos online.