Northern Lights May Be Seen Tonight From Over 13 States—How You Can Watch
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Stargazers are in for a treat as the northern lights will be visible from up to 13 states tonight, June 2.
A geomagnetic storm, caused by coronal mass ejection (CME), is heading towards Earth, which can trigger the phenomenon of the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights.
Astronomer professor Alex Gianninas of Connecticut College, explained to Newsweek: "We are currently in the peak of the current solar cycle, Solar Cycle 25, and so increased activity at the surface of the Sun is normal. This includes geomagnetic storms that cause the Sun to expel large quantities of charged particles.
"If those are directed towards the Earth, then once they get here, the Earth's magnetic field channels them down towards both the North and South poles and when they hit the nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere produce the beautiful Aurora that we see."
The northern lights—also known as the aurora borealis—form when particles from the solar wind excite atoms in the Earth's upper atmosphere, causing them to glow.
Aurorae manifest as curtains of light that trace the geomagnetic field lines and can vary in color depending on the species of atom being excited.
The lights can appear in a variety of colors, from green and blue to purple, pink and red, depending on the type of gas that is hit, and where in the atmosphere that gas is located, according to NASA.
A map showing an Aurora viewline for the night of June 2.
A map showing an Aurora viewline for the night of June 2.
SWPC NOAA
Which states will be able to see the northern lights tonight?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center, the aurora will be most intense across Canada and Alaska tonight.
But, as Gianninas told Newsweek: "Besides Alaska, which is going to be the best place to potentially see the aurora tonight, the other states that are best positioned are the Northern Midwest states from Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
"The northernmost parts of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine might also be able to witness the aurora."
How to watch the Northern Lights in your state
Aurora are not visible during daylight hours, and the best time to be observed from Earth is just after sunset or just before sunrise.
It also does not need to be directly overhead, but can be viewed from as far as 621 miles away if conditions are right.
Gianninas said: "Precise timing is hard to predict, but obviously it needs to be after sundown, when it's dark, as far away from bright city lights as possible, and Mother Nature also has to cooperate and it's got to be clear skies in order to see the aurora."
Optimal Northern Lights Viewing Window by Region (Local Time)
Sunset times on June 2 for the states with a chance of seeing the northern lights are as follows, in local time:
Anchorage, Alaska: 23:22
Olympia, Washington: 21:00
Boise, Idaho: 21:20
Helena, Montana: 21:15
Pierre, South Dakota: 21:19
Bismarck, North Dakota: 21:30
Saint Paul, Minnesota: 20:53
Madison, Wisconsin: 20:30
Lansing, Michigan: 21:10
Albany, New York: 20:27
Montpelier, Vermont: 20:28
Concord, New Hampshire: 20:20
Augusta, Maine: 20:17
Image of stargazers viewing the northern lights in Edinburgh, UK, during a geomagnetic storm.
Image of stargazers viewing the northern lights in Edinburgh, UK, during a geomagnetic storm.The night of June 3 also offers opportunities to see the Aurora, but it is projected to be less intense than the night before.
As Gianninas told Newsweek: "With this increased activity, we have a reasonable expectation to see more auroral activity for many months to come."
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about space? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Florida Weatherman Issues DOGE Cuts Warning During TV Forecast
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Florida weatherman John Morales decried the federal spending cuts to the National Weather Service and NOAA during his forecast on NBC6 on Monday, saying it is affecting his ability to do his job. Morales played a clip of him confidently saying that Hurricane Dorian was going to turn away from Florida a few years earlier, seeking to reassure the state's residents. "And I am here to tell you, that I am not sure I can do that this year, because of the cuts, the gutting, the sledgehammer attack on science in general," Morales said. He described some of the forecasting-related impacts that the cuts recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have had, including substantially fewer staff at key agencies and a reduction in weather balloons. "And what we're starting to see is that the quality of the forecast is becoming degraded," Morales said. "There's also a chance, because of some of these cuts, that NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft will not be able to fly this year, and with less reconnaissance missions, we may be flying blind, and we may not exactly know how strong a hurricane is before it reaches the coastline, like happened a couple of years ago in Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Mexico. "So I was asked to talk about this today. I'm glad I was. I just want you to know that what you need to do is call your representatives, and make sure that these cuts are stopped." South Florida weatherman tells viewers he can't accurately predict hurricanes because of government cuts — 🌊 R Saddler (@Politics_PR) June 4, 2025 This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Northern lights dazzle night sky near New England's highest peak after geomagnetic storm
Vibrant hues of green, pink, and purple danced across the night sky over New Hampshire on Monday night as a strong geomagnetic storm hit Earth. The Northern Lights put on a stunning display that was seen clearly from the Mount Washington Observatory. 'The northern lights put on another beautiful display at the summit last night, thanks to a strong geomagnetic storm and little to no clouds around the summit,' the Observatory said in a Facebook post. Despite wind chills nearing 20 degrees, summit staff were able to capture a breathtaking photo of the phenomenon also known as the aurora borealis. 'Summit staff had to bundle up to watch the event around midnight, but weather observer Charlie P. was able to capture this photo before being forced inside by the cold," the Observatory added. Auroras occur when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth's upper atmosphere, according to Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Forbes
16 hours ago
- Forbes
In Photos: June's ‘Great Aurora' Stuns Skywatchers Around The World
The great aurora of May 31/June 1, 2025, here looking straight up in a 360° panorama, with the ... More horizon all around and the zenith at centre. This records the entire sky during the peak of the substorm at about 1:30 am with the curtains lighting up with a range of colours blending together. A rare and powerful geomagnetic storm dazzled skywatchers across the globe last weekend, with the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) and Southern Lights (aurora australis) visible far from polar regions, with images of multi-colored curtains, coronas and rays across social media. People look at Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, as it glows on the horizon over ... More Lake Ellesmere in Lincoln on the outskirts of Christchurch on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Sanka VIDANAGAMA / AFP) (Photo by SANKA VIDANAGAMA/AFP via Getty Images) The spectacular event was triggered by a massive coronal mass ejection — a cloud of charged particles hurled into space from the sun — lit up skies in Canada, the U.S., Europe, New Zealand and beyond for over 60 hours between Saturday, May 31 to Tuesday, June 3, 2025. A man takes visuals of Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, as it glows on the ... More horizon over Lake Ellesmere in Lincoln on the outskirts of Christchurch on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Sanka VIDANAGAMA / AFP) (Photo by SANKA VIDANAGAMA/AFP via Getty Images) The spectacular event was triggered by a massive coronal mass ejection — a cloud of charged particles hurled into space from the sun — lit up skies in Canada, the U.S., Europe, New Zealand and beyond for over 60 hours between Saturday, May 31 to Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The great aurora of May 31/June 1, 2025, in a ~240° panorama from northeast at left, to ... More northwest at right, taken as a substorm was hitting, and the sky was lighting up with bright and colourful curtains. Here the curtains had moved mostly to the south, at centre here, after an initial appearance at the start of the night as a diffuse band across the north. However, moments after this as the substorm peaked, the sky filled with aurora, captured in an all-sky circular panorama. As Earth approaches the solstice on June 21, typical locations in the Northern Hemisphere where the aurora oval hangs over — such as polar latitudes near 70 degrees North — currently have no hours of darkness. That makes the U.S. currently one of the best places to see the Northern Lights. The great aurora of May 31/June 1, 2025, here with a burst of red appearing for a brief time amid ... More the curtains to the east as a substorm hit boosting the brightness and colours. On this night the Kp index peaked at Kp8, unusually high. However, to the eye the aurora still remained dimmer and colourless, except for moments like this when some reds did show up to the eye. Technical: A single 5-second exposure with the Viltrox 16mm lens at f/1.8 on the Nikon Z6III at ISO 400. A long-lasting G4 geomagnetic storm, it was one of the most vivid displays of aurora in Solar Cycle 25, which is currently in its solar maximum period. The sun has an 11-14-year cycle during which its magnetic activity waxes and wanes. It wasn't, however, as powerful as the G5 geomagnetic storm last weekend that saw aurora seen from as far south as California. A man takes visuals of Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, as it glows on the ... More horizon over Lake Ellesmere in Lincoln on the outskirts of Christchurch on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Sanka VIDANAGAMA / AFP) (Photo by SANKA VIDANAGAMA/AFP via Getty Images) The long display was initially triggered by a powerful M8.2-class solar flare on May 31, which launched a fast-moving 'halo CME' — an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection. It began interacting with Earth's magnetosphere early on June 1, triggering a G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm, with the Kp index peaking at 8 — high enough to expand the auroral oval well into mid- and low-latitude regions. The great aurora of May 31/June 1, 2025, here with particularly colourful curtains to the east as a ... More substorm hit boosting the brightness and colours. On this night the Kp index peaked at Kp8, unusually high. However, to the eye the aurora still remained dimmer and colourless, except for moments like this when some reds did show up to the eye. This is a wide-angle lens framing from the horizon to near the zenith at top. Technical: A single 5-second exposure with the Viltrox 16mm lens at f/1.8 on the Nikon Z6III at ISO 800. In the U.S., aurora was seen as far south as southern Nebraska, Missouri, and even parts of New Mexico. States including Oregon, Wyoming, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts also witnessed views of the aurora. According to auroras were captured on the Gulf Coast at latitude 30 degrees North — a very rare event that reflects the storm's exceptional intensity. This photo taken on June 1, 2025 shows the aurora seen at the outskirts of Canberra, Australia. ... More (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua via Getty Images) Outside North America, both aurora borealis and aurora australis were seen in abundance. Canada experienced sky-filling displays, while colorful Southern Lights were seen from southern Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. The geomagnetic storm began to wane on June 2, but minor (G1) to strong (G3) storms persisted into June 3, keeping high-latitude skywatchers on alert. The Aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, is seen at Cleveland Dam Park on June ... More 03, 2025 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by) The Northern Lights are a result of the solar wind, which consists of charged particles emitted by the sun that interact with Earth's magnetic field. While much of this solar wind is deflected by the magnetic field, some charged particles travel along the magnetic field lines toward the polar regions where they enter. These particles collide with and excite oxygen and nitrogen atoms, causing them to release energy as light. This photo taken on June 1, 2025 shows a view of aurora and a dashing meteor in Jixian County of ... More Shuangyashan City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (Photo by Han Yang/Xinhua via Getty Images) Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
