The Northern Lights Will be Visible in Some Parts of the United States This Week

From May 15th through May 17th the aurora borealis could be seen in some northern U.S. states. Due to a geomagnetic storm from the sun, skywatchers in the northern part of states such as the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and New York could be able to see the northern lights.

The Space Weather Prediction Center put out a report on Tuesday, May 14th claiming G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for May 16th.

The watch issued by the Space Weather Prediction Center is brought on by a series of coronal mass ejection events from the sun that are expected to last from Wednesday through Friday.

A 30-minute forecast can be seen here.

Although the northern lights won’t be visible during daylight hours the lights will be visible right around sunrise and sunset. “Note that the aurora will not be visible during daylight hours; however, the aurora can often be observed within an hour before sunrise or after sunset,” the Space Weather Prediction Center said.

Some people have already seen glimpses of the aurora. This Twitter user saw the lights in Hancock Township, Michigan.

One person saw them in northern Ohio.

Minneapolis, Chicago & Detroit Among the Cities Where the Northern Lights Will be Visible

USA Today reports that cities such as Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany and Boston all have a chance of seeing the aurora.

The Space Weather Prediction Center says the locations most likely to experience the aurora are located in between the green and yellow lines in the graphic below.

“Most likely area of Aurora Extent: between the green line (Kp=5) and the yellow line (Kp=7),” the prediction center said on its website.

NOAA Space Weather Prediction CenterGraphic showing where the northern lights will be visible in the U.S.

This includes Washington, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, New York, parts of New England and a northern sliver of Illinois.