Northern lights update: Some US states could see aurora borealis this week, latest forecast says

Kate Perez, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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If seeing the northern lights is on your bucket list, you might just be in luck. The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, could be visible in some U.S. states on Wednesday.

The forecast is a change from the number of states that were predicted to possibly see the lights last week. The natural phenomenon is usually caused by solar winds coming from the sun and Earth's magnetic field, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.

"Aurora is the name given to the glow or light produced when electrons from space flow down Earth’s magnetic field and collide with atoms and molecules of the upper atmosphere in a ring or oval centered on the magnetic pole of Earth," the website says. "The collisions produce light much like how electrons flowing through gas in a neon light collide with neon and other gases to produce different colored light bulbs."

The Space Weather Prediction Center's forecast Wednesday showed potential for people in the northern part of the country to possibly see the auroras on the horizon.

Want to see the northern lights? Good news: Experts predict years of awesome aurora viewing.

Where could the northern lights appear?

The northern lights could be visible in northern parts of eight states if the weather is clear.

Last week's forecast called for aurora borealis visibility in 17 states, including parts of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Indiana, but it has since been updated to eight states in the U.S. Currently, the main areas of the U.S. that are predicted to see the lights are forecast to see them on the horizon.

Here's where the northern lights could be visible:

  • Idaho

  • North Dakota

  • Montana

  • Alaska

  • Wisconsin

  • Minnesota

  • Michigan

  • Washington

However, the forecast is subject to change.

When will northern lights appear?

The best chance of viewing the aurora borealis is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, the Space Weather Prediction Center says. People interested in seeing them should get away from city lights.

The higher the geomagnetic activity, the brighter the aurora.

When was the last major northern light event in the U.S.?

A geomagnetic storm created lights that were visible in 30 U.S. states in late April. The aurora could be seen in parts of Iowa, North Dakota and Kansas.

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Kate Perez covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@gannett.com or on Twitter @katecperez_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Northern lights forecast for some US states July 13: How to see them