{"id":649851,"date":"2026-05-18T06:38:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T06:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/649851\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T06:38:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T06:38:15","slug":"map-shows-where-northern-lights-may-be-seen-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/649851\/","title":{"rendered":"Map Shows Where Northern Lights May Be Seen This Weekend\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

A rare celestial display could light up skies across parts of the United States on Sunday night, with forecasters reporting that the aurora borealis<\/a> (also called the northern lights in the northern hemisphere) may be visible far beyond its usual northern boundaries, thanks to heightened solar activity.<\/p>\n

The northern lights\u2014typically seen in places like Alaska and northern Canada\u2014are expected to dip into parts of the continental U.S. this weekend due to a geomagnetic storm<\/a>, a disturbance in Earth\u2019s magnetic field caused by charged particles from the sun.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where the Northern Lights Could Be Visible<\/p>\n

The best chance of seeing the aurora<\/a> remains in the northern tier of the U.S., where skies are closest to the natural \u201cauroral oval\u201d\u2014the region where the phenomenon is most active.<\/p>\n

According to Forbes, the highest visibility is expected in:<\/p>\n

Alaska (the strongest and most reliable views)WashingtonIdahoMontanaNorth DakotaSouth DakotaMinnesotaWisconsinMichiganMaine<\/p>\n

However, if the storm intensifies to a stronger level, the viewing zone could expand significantly farther south.<\/p>\n

States that could catch a faint glimpse include:<\/p>\n

OregonWyomingNebraskaIowaIllinoisIndianaOhioNew YorkVermontNew Hampshire\u00a0<\/p>\n

Experts note that even in these areas, the lights may appear as a subtle glow on the northern horizon rather than the vivid overhead displays seen in higher latitudes.<\/p>\n

\"TheWhat Are the Northern Lights?<\/p>\n

According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, the aurora borealis forms when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in the Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere, releasing energy as light.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These particles travel on the solar wind and are guided toward the poles by Earth\u2019s magnetic field. When activity increases\u2014such as during solar flares or high-speed solar wind streams\u2014the aurora becomes brighter and pushes further from the poles.<\/p>\n

The colors\u2014typically green, but sometimes pink, purple, or red\u2014depend on which gases are involved and how high in the atmosphere the collisions occur.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why This Weekend Is Special for the Northern Lights<\/p>\n

Auroras are always occurring somewhere near the poles, but it is relatively rare for them to be visible across large portions of the U.S.<\/p>\n

This weekend\u2019s event is being driven by a high-speed stream of solar wind escaping from a coronal hole on the sun, creating geomagnetic storm conditions strong enough to expand the aurora\u2019s reach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even a minor (G1) geomagnetic storm can push the lights into northern U.S. states, while stronger storms allow them to be seen much further south.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That makes this a standout opportunity\u2014especially for those who don\u2019t want to travel to Arctic regions\u2014to witness one of nature\u2019s most striking displays.<\/p>\n

The Best Time to See the Aurora<\/p>\n

Timing will be critical for anyone hoping to catch the lights. The best viewing window is typically:<\/p>\n

Late evening through early morning, especially between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time\u00a0Peak visibility often occurs around midnight, when geomagnetic activity aligns with the night side of the Earth<\/p>\n

Observers are also advised to check for clear skies, as cloud cover can completely block the display.<\/p>\n

How to View the Northern Lights<\/p>\n

To maximize your chances:<\/p>\n

Get away from city lights\u2014dark skies are essential.Look north toward the horizon.Allow your eyes time to adjust to the darkness.Use a smartphone camera\u2014auroras can appear brighter in photos than to the naked eye.<\/p>\n

Even with ideal conditions, auroras can be unpredictable, so patience is key.<\/p>\n

What It Means for Viewers<\/p>\n

For millions of Americans, Sunday night should offer a rare chance to see the lights without leaving the country\u2014or even their home state.<\/p>\n

While visibility is never guaranteed, the combination of active solar conditions and favorable timing means the skies could deliver a memorable show, with a chance for the display to stretch even further south if the storm strengthens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A rare celestial display could light up skies across parts of the United States on Sunday night, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":649852,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[20743,25686,63090,25685,79,193],"class_list":["post-649851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-aurora","tag-aurora-borealis","tag-geomagnetic-storm","tag-northern-lights","tag-science","tag-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=649851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649851\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/649852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=649851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=649851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=649851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}