NOAA forecast that northern lights june 8 could be visible Sunday night across several states along the U.S.-Canadian border, including North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana and parts of Washington, Idaho, Wisconsin, South Dakota and the Michigan Upper Peninsula. The agency said the display could reach a Kp index of five out of nine as a coronal mass ejection moves toward Earth.
The same forecast puts the ejection's arrival by Monday, when NOAA expects minor to strong geomagnetic storms that could last through Tuesday. The agency said strong geomagnetic storms can push the aurora as far south as Illinois.
NOAA's Sunday Night Forecast
NOAA said the aurora has a chance of visibility in North Dakota, much of the Michigan Upper Peninsula, northern Minnesota, northern Montana and the northernmost stretches of Washington, Idaho, Wisconsin and South Dakota. Alaska also has a high chance of seeing the aurora borealis Sunday night.
Experts at NOAA advised viewers to travel north toward Earth's magnetic north pole and look for a hill with a clear view of the northern sky far from city lights. They said the best viewing hours are typically around midnight, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Coronal Mass Ejection Timing
The forecast follows a coronal mass ejection that escaped from the sun on Saturday. NOAA said that kind of solar eruption can drive geomagnetic storms after it reaches Earth and interacts with the planet's magnetosphere.
The practical change for readers in the forecast zone is the timing: Sunday night offers the first viewing window, while Monday and Tuesday bring the stronger storm period that can widen the aurora's reach farther south than usual.
