Where you may be able to see the Northern Lights tonight and this weekend

Two powerful geomagnetic storms could bring a spectacular Northern Lights display to millions of Americans again this weekend, according to space forecasters.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center issued “strong” geomagnetic storm warnings after recent explosions on the sun triggered multiple eruptions of solar material known as “coronal mass ejections.” These can lead to auroral phenomena on Earth from Friday to Sunday.

Where you might be able to see them

According to the official forecast from the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, the geomagnetic storms will create conditions that could make the northern lights visible to people across Canada and the northern United States

In particular, the aurora could “be visible over many northern states and some parts of the lower Midwest as far south as Oregon.”

Forecast maps show states as far away as Massachusetts in the Northeast and Illinois and Iowa in the Midwest may be in sight.

How to track them

The NOAA website provides short-term auroral forecasts for a period of 30 to 90 minutes before they become visible. There are also several apps. Space.com's Daisy Dobrijevic recommends two: My Aurora Forecast & Alerts, available for iOS and Android, and the SpaceWeatherLive app, also available for iOS and Android.

The best time to watch them

Aurora Borealis can often be seen with the naked eye just after sunset or just before sunrise and in areas without light pollution. You can also record them with a camera or smartphone.

According to NOAA, they can be observed from hundreds of miles away when conditions are right.

In May, for example, an unusually strong solar storm in the Northern Hemisphere produced brilliant northern lights.

Why there has been so much solar activity recently

It may seem like it's coming out of nowhere, but space forecasters have their eye on the year 2025, which they call “solar maximum” activity.

“The Sun’s magnetic field is at the peak of its 11-year cycle,” the Associated Press recently explained, “making storms and auroras more common.”