Overview

• NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center warns of a minor geomagnetic storm tonight with the Kp index climbing to 5, signaling elevated auroral activity.
• Aurora displays could appear from roughly 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. local time in up to 15 states stretching from Alaska and Washington through New York and Maine.
• The enhanced visibility stems from a high-speed solar wind stream flowing from an equatorial coronal hole that is colliding with Earth’s magnetic field.
• Scientists say the current solar maximum has exceeded expectations, marking a 500-year peak in activity that should sustain strong northern lights through 2026.
• Viewers are urged to head to dark, elevated sites away from city lights and to monitor NOAA’s real-time forecasts for the best chance to see the aurora.