Here’s Where You Can See The Northern Lights This Week

It’s hard to believe we are just weeks away from the new year. But let’s not rush things quite yet. While it’s still 2024, let’s enjoy what’s left, including the wonders of nature. If you’ve missed previous opportunities to view the aurora borealis or northern lights this year, tonight might be your chance. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there’s a geomagnetic storm watch for November 7 that will help make the sky beautifully colorful.

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The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center continually updates its website to help guide those looking to catch a glimpse of the northern lights. Right now, the best chance to view the light show is on November 7. It may be visible for a few days after that, but scientists believe Thursday will be the peak.

In Alaska, you have the best odds of seeing the sky painted with colorful hues. Those in Washington, Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan may also get a peek. To have the best view of the northern lights, the NOAA recommends getting away from urban areas and heading to the country. Additionally, the darker, the better. If the sky is too bright, it will be difficult to see.

“[The] best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10 PM and 2 AM local time). These hours of active aurora expand towards evening and morning as the level of geomagnetic activity increases. There may be aurora in the evening and morning, but it is usually not as active and, therefore, not as visually appealing. The best Seasons for aurora watching are around the spring and fall equinoxes. Due to subtleties in the way the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere, there is a tendency towards larger geomagnetic storms, and thus better auroras, to occur near the equinoxes,” the NOAA advises.

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