Northern Lights Could Be Visible In 9 States Sunday Night

Aug 02, 2026 10:26 PM - 1 day ago 100

Topline

The bluish lights could beryllium visible from immoderate bluish states connected Sunday night, according to a forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, though forecasters are not predicting immoderate abstraction upwind activity that would typically nutrient bigger ray shows.

NOAA is not predicting immoderate abstraction upwind activity that would effect the lights, but the aurora could still beryllium visible.

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Key Facts

NOAA is predicting a Kp scale of 4 retired of 9 for Sunday night, meaning the aurora could move farther from Earth’s magnetic poles, while appearing “brighter” pinch much “motion and formations.”

Forecasters are not expecting immoderate abstraction upwind to effect the aurora connected Sunday night, though the Kp scale could still scope supra 4 later this evening into Monday morning, according to NOAA’s three time forecast.

Where Could the Aurora Be Visible?

Northern regions of Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula person a chance of catching the lights, on pinch overmuch of North Dakota and bluish parts of South Dakota. Most of Alaska’s interior has a overmuch higher chance of seeing the lights, per usual. However, the sun sets successful Alaska overmuch later during the summertime months, meaning viewers person a overmuch much constricted timeframe to drawback the lights. The sun will group successful Anchorage astir 10:35 p.m. connected Sunday night.

NOAA's aurora representation for Sunday night.

NOAA

What’s the Best Way to View the Aurora?

Prospective viewers should recreation arsenic adjacent to the Earth’s magnetic northbound rod arsenic possible. Viewers should find a vantage constituent pinch a clear position of the entity facing north, ideally distant from different sources of ray for illustration cities. They should besides clip their trips for the hours the aurora is astir active—typically betwixt 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

What’s the Best Way to Photograph the Aurora?

Smartphones are tin of taking value photos of the bluish lights, experts who said to National Geographic said. Aurora photographers should retrieve to move disconnected flash, move their devices into nighttime mode and sprout successful RAW image format. They should besides make usage of a tripod and a timer, arsenic cameras request to stay still for longer periods of clip successful bid to seizure value images.

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