Topline
The northern lights have a moderate chance of appearing Sunday night for viewers in states along the U.S.-Canada border, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its most recent forecast, meaning viewers could still see the aurora from the right location.
The aurora borealis could be visible from some states along the U.S.-Canada border and Alaska.
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Key Facts
Forecasters are predicting a Kp index of three out of nine Sunday night going into Monday morning—meaning the aurora borealis could appear brighter with more “motion and formations,” according to NOAA.
No geomagnetic storms are expected to impact the Earth on Sunday, forecasters said, but activity could still spike Sunday night into Monday morning, according to NOAA’s three-day forecast.
The view line for September 28.
NOAA
Which States Could See The Aurora?
Much of North Dakota, along with the northern portion of Montana, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, northern Minnesota and far northern Wisconsin. Extreme northeast Washington and the upper tip of the Idaho panhandle also fall within the potential viewing area, according to NOAA’s predicted view line. The aurora could also appear in most of Alaska.
What’s The Best Way To View The Aurora?
Prospective northern lights viewers should travel toward Earth’s magnetic north pole, and position themselves on a hill or other vantage point. In the right location with an unobstructed view north, viewers can see the aurora even if it is 600 miles north of their current location, NOAA forecasters say. Viewers should travel outside of cities and other sources of light. The lights are typically most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
What’s The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights?
Photographers should bring a tripod and a wide-angle, low light capable lens with an f-stop of 4.0 or lower, experts told National Geographic. Many smartphone cameras are now good enough to capture shots of the aurora, but they still require stabilization from a tripod in order to hold the camera still long enough to capture the lights.