Strong Geomagnetic Storm Watch: Northern Lights sightings possible in US Thursday and Friday

NASA Astronaut Don Petit shared an incredible video showing the Northern Lights from the International Space Station as it was preparing to dock with a Soyuz spacecraft on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Those as far south as Iowa, Pennsylvania and Oregon could get a chance to see the Northern Lights on Thursday and Friday. 

The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G3 or “strong” Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Thursday and Friday, with the highest possibility of seeing auroras in the U.S. states bordering Canada.

Geomagnetic storms can affect power grids, satellite operations and be a danger for astronauts in space.

WHAT IS A GEOMAGNETIC STORM?

Potential aurora viewing forecast for Thursday and Friday.

Geomagnetic storms occur from solar activity. The sun is a bubbling hot cauldron of non-stop activity that occasionally gives off solar flares, which in turn can trigger what’s known as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). 

CME’s will launch a stream of solar particles into space along the solar wind. If the stream is directed at the Earth, those charged particles will interact with our magnetic field, transferring energy into our upper atmosphere and causing variations in our magnetic field.

7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

Aurora Borealis explainer

The charged particles of a CME create the beautiful dancing lights known as Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights. These lights are typically only seen near the North Pole, but during more intense solar storms, they can be seen as far south as the southern U.S.

Auroras produced from geomagnetic storms provide a beautiful show for those lucky enough to catch a glimpse. 

WHAT IS THE KP INDEX AND HOW DOES IT RELATE TO THE NORTHERN LIGHTS?

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  Kp5 and above intensity northern lights (aurora borealis) appear in the sky over autumn trees as it lit up the sky in shades of green in Anchorage, Alaska, United States on September 29, 2025. This natural phenomenon was observed by locals, photographers and tourists. 
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  Northern Lights spotted in Ada, Michigan, on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.
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  Northern Lights in Union Beach, NJ
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  Northern Lights in Portland, Maine
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  Northern Lights in Portland, Maine
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  Northern lights seen on Aug. 11, 2024 from Athol, Idaho.
  (Denise Viana)

The Space Weather Prediction Center said to keep an eye out Thursday evening into Friday morning for the possibility of seeing auroras. 

For the best chances of seeing the northern lights, travel away from city lights into an open area when searching for them.