Get us in your inbox

Northern Lights in Scotland
Photograph: Shutterstock

The Northern Lights will be visible from nearly half the U.S. this week

17 different states have a chance at viewing the phenomenon

Amanda Mactas
Written by
Amanda Mactas
Advertising

Those who have to see the Northern Lights on their bucket list usually need to put a trip to Canada, Alaska, or even Scandinavia on their calendars—but this week, the weather forecast has something different in store. Thursday night, the cosmic lights, also known as aurora borealis, will be visible in more southern regions of the world, including in 17 U.S. states.

RECOMMENDED: The best places for stargazing in the U.S.

Look to the skies for a colorful show, whose peak viewing times take place between 10pm and 2am, according to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. On the geomagnetic Kp index, Thursday’s aurora borealis clocks in at a six out of 10, making for a fairly bright display.

Stargazers in the following states have a fair chance of catching a glimpse of the elusive magnetic light show in the sky:

Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Vermont

Set your alarms and get as far away from city lights as possible to increase your chances of catching this rare sight.

You may also like
You may also like
Advertising