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Rare auroras could light up skies as far south as Illinois and Oregon<\/strong><\/p>\n Tonight, Tuesday, June 3<\/strong>, skywatchers across the northern United States<\/strong> may witness one of nature\u2019s most mesmerizing phenomena: the northern lights<\/strong>. Thanks to an ongoing geomagnetic storm<\/strong> triggered by a coronal mass ejection (CME)<\/strong> that struck Earth\u2019s magnetic field<\/strong> early on June 1<\/strong>, conditions remain highly favorable for auroral activity<\/strong> across much of the country.<\/p>\n The source of this celestial spectacle is a fast-moving CME<\/strong> that disrupted the Earth\u2019s magnetic field, intensifying space weather<\/strong> conditions. Forecasts from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center<\/strong> indicate a potential Kp index peak of 6.67<\/strong>, which suggests strong G3 storm conditions<\/strong>. These storms can push auroral visibility well beyond their usual polar zones.<\/p>\n According to NOAA<\/strong> and the U.K. Met Office<\/strong>, the auroral oval<\/strong> is currently stretching southward, increasing the odds of visible auroras far below the Arctic Circle.<\/p>\n If current geomagnetic storm levels hold, the following 15 states<\/strong> may see the aurora borealis<\/strong>, particularly after 1 a.m. local time<\/strong>, which is generally the best time during summer nights due to shorter windows of darkness. These states are listed in descending order of likelihood, based on their proximity to the auroral oval<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Alaska<\/strong>, Montana<\/strong>, North Dakota<\/strong>, Minnesota<\/strong>, Wisconsin<\/strong>, Michigan<\/strong>, Maine<\/strong>, Vermont<\/strong>, New Hampshire<\/strong>, New York<\/strong>, South Dakota<\/strong>, Idaho<\/strong>, Washington<\/strong>, Oregon<\/strong>, Massachusetts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Illinois<\/strong> and Oregon<\/strong> are on the southern edge of the current forecast range, meaning that if the geomagnetic conditions intensify to G3<\/strong>, auroras could stretch even farther south.<\/p>\n If you’re in one of the lucky regions, head to a north-facing location<\/strong>, away from urban light pollution<\/strong>, and give your eyes time to adjust<\/strong> to the darkness. Sometimes, auroras will appear more vividly through a smartphone camera<\/strong> before they become clearly visible to the naked eye.<\/p>\n Keep an eye on the northern horizon<\/strong>, but don\u2019t forget to glance around\u2014the aurora can appear overhead or behind you, and may evolve rapidly from faint glows to vibrant streaks of green and purple<\/strong> dancing across the sky.<\/p>\n To stay updated on the evolving forecast, check NOAA’s 3-day aurora forecast<\/strong>, or download apps like My Aurora Forecast & Alerts<\/strong> and Space Weather Live<\/strong>, both available on iOS<\/strong> and Android<\/strong>. These tools can alert you to changes in Kp levels<\/strong>, geomagnetic conditions, and forecast updates based on your location.<\/p>\n Tonight\u2019s event is another reminder of the solar maximum<\/strong> period we\u2019re approaching, where increased solar activity<\/strong> can lead to more frequent and intense auroras<\/strong> across the globe\u2014even in places that rarely see them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rare auroras could light up skies as far south as Illinois and Oregon Tonight, Tuesday, June 3, skywatchers across the northern United States may witness one of nature\u2019s most mesmerizing phenomena: the northern lights. Thanks to an ongoing geomagnetic storm triggered by a coronal mass ejection (CME) that struck Earth\u2019s magnetic field early on June […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s causing the northern lights tonight?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Which states could see the aurora borealis tonight?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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How to watch the northern lights tonight<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Tracking the auroras in real-time<\/strong><\/h3>\n