{"id":866291,"date":"2026-09-30T20:56:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T20:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/866291\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T20:56:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T20:56:14","slug":"northern-lights-in-new-england-how-will-this-october-stack-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/866291\/","title":{"rendered":"Northern Lights in New England: How will this October stack up?"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Englanders saw what almost felt like weekly northern lights painting our skies, stretching from the end of 2024 through the beginning of 2026. <\/p>\n

Over that period, the sun had been extraordinarily active, reaching what scientists call \u201csolar maximum\u201d in late 2024 \u2014 part of Solar Cycle 25, the sun\u2019s roughly 11-year cycle of rising and falling activity. <\/p>\n

\"TheThe northern lights as seen in Concord, N.H., in November 2025.Michelline Dufort Proulx<\/p>\n

The solar cycle is a natural phenomenon in which the sun\u2019s magnetic poles switch, causing changes and disruptions along the surface. During solar maximum, the sun produces more sunspots and becomes prone to unleashing solar flares, with eruptions releasing charged particles called coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. <\/p>\n

But more recently that activity has been on the decline, as has the number of sunspots observed. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are most likely on our way down from solar maximum,\u201d said Shawn Dahl, space weather expert for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. \u201cSunspot numbers appear to have reached their highest around 2024-2025 or so, and been declining since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Observations from NOAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have shown the number of sunspots on a steady decline, matching the backslide from previous solar maximum events. More than 200 sunspots were visible at one time during the height of Solar Cycle 25; there are now fewer than 100.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe number of sunspots has decreased dramatically in 2026 after the Solar Maximum peaked in late 2024. Solar Maximum occurs about every 11 years.SWPC<\/p>\n

The decline in sunspots translates to a drop in the number of solar flares, which means a lower frequency of coronal mass ejections traveling toward Earth. <\/p>\n

But don\u2019t put away your hopes of more northern lights displays for good. We may still get some of that heavenly color.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could still see expansive auroral activity as we work our way down from solar maximum,\u201d said Dahl. \u201cSome of the most impactful storms have occurred one to three years after solar maximum peak.\u201d<\/p>\n

That means we could still be in for one or two jaw-dropping nights before the sun settles into a quieter phase. <\/p>\n

\u201cNew England is a large area, so the northern parts could probably see aurora even once per month during solar minimum, but maybe only a glow towards the north on camera,\u201d said Vincent Ledvina, space physics Ph.D. student and widely known as \u201cThe Aurora Guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Better forecasting on the horizon for solar maximums<\/p>\n

I also learned that scientists may be getting better at figuring out what comes after all of this. <\/p>\n

A new study published this year by the Royal Astronomical Society identified a fascinating \u201cswitch-off\u201d point in the solar cycle, essentially the moment when the most extreme space weather activity abruptly winds down on the sun\u2019s surface. Researchers found the number of sunspots remaining at this point can provide clues about how strong the next solar cycle will become.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe northern lights as seen at Ponyhenge in Lincoln around 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2025.Dave Thompson<\/p>\n

This technique could give scientists an indication of the strength of the next solar cycle about seven years before it reaches its maximum.<\/p>\n

Right now, early estimates suggest Solar Cycle 26 could be weak to moderate, likely a bit weaker than Cycle 25 \u2014 although scientists expect a much more confident forecast in a couple of years when the switch-off point becomes clearer. <\/p>\n

Solar Cycle 25 was one we won\u2019t soon forget<\/p>\n

So as we bid farewell to this cycle\u2019s solar maximum, I want to emphasize just how special it was. <\/p>\n

On May 10, 2024, one of the strongest geomagnetic storms in decades sent the aurora plunging unusually far south. It wasn\u2019t just a faint green smudge on the northern horizon. People across New England were seeing pinks, purples, reds, and greens dancing overhead.<\/p>\n

The storm was driven by a barrage of solar eruptions from an enormous sunspot region known as AR 13664. NASA called the May event the strongest geomagnetic storm to pass Earth in two decades, and potentially one of the most spectacular auroral displays in about 500 years. Even the Bahamas and Hawaii got in on the action. <\/p>\n

\"ObserversObservers watched the Northern Lights from the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, May 10, 2024.Charlie Peachey\/Mount Washington<\/p>\n

Then came another memorable show in October 2024, and then again a year later in 2025.<\/p>\n

On October 10, 2025, the sky over New England exploded with color. The aurora was visible from Maine to Massachusetts, even in some remarkably light-polluted locations around Boston. People reported pink and green curtains of light over Worcester, Cape Cod, the North Shore, and even the city itself.<\/p>\n

And just when we thought the sun might be done showing off, November 2025 delivered another spectacular display across Massachusetts and New England, with vivid colors once again lighting up the sky.<\/p>\n

Honestly, we were spoiled. <\/p>\n

Ken Mahan can be reached at ken.mahan@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman<\/a>.<\/p>\n