How to Watch the Northern Lights for a Second Time This Week
NEED TO KNOW
- The northern lights will be visible again on Tuesday, Sept. 2, due to geomagnetic storms caused by a coronal mass ejection that reached Earth on Sept. 1
- Auroras occur when solar flares or coronal mass ejections interact with Earth’s magnetic field, creating colorful displays in the sky
- Solar activity has been intensifying since late 2024 and is expected to peak at “solar maximum” in 2026, with aurora activity forecasted to decrease later this week
Just when you thought the show was over, the auroras continue to paint the night sky with their otherworldly glow!
Stargazers will be treated to yet another round of northern lights on Tuesday, Sept. 2, marking the second time this cosmic phenomenon has lit up the skies this week.
Northern lights, or the aurora borealis, occur when solar activity — such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections — triggers magnetic storms. These storms give rise to interactions between the Earth’s magnetic field and charged particles from the sun, resulting in the dazzling hues of color that light up the sky.
According to NASA and NOAA, solar activity has peaked since late 2024, and will likely reach “solar maximum” in the year 2026. Solar maximum refers to the “highest rate of solar activity during the sun’s approximately 11-year solar cycle,” per Space.com.
With a Kp index of four — on a scale between zero and nine — tonight’s aurora activity is a result of Monday’s strong to severe geomagnetic storms.
A coronal mass ejection erupted from the sun over the weekend, reaching Earth’s atmosphere late in the evening of Sept. 1, as forecasted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).
Activity is expected to decrease in intensity throughout the week, so be sure to look up, and catch a glimpse while you can.
Here’s how to watch the northern lights for a second time this week.
When will the northern lights be visible?
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The northern lights are back tonight, Sept. 2, with a Kp index of four, on a scale between zero and nine. This is a result of Monday night’s intense geomagnetic storms, after a coronal mass ejection erupted from the sun over the weekend.
With a decrease in solar activity and geomagnetic storms, less auroral activity is expected through Wednesday, Sept. 3.
Where will the northern lights be visible?
MAX SLOVENCIK/APA/AFP via Getty
Once the sun sets, NOAA forecasters predict a high chance of visibility in Alaska, with lower (but still possible) visibility in Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Maine.
How to watch the northern lights?
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In addition to the Kp forecast, catching a glimpse of the northern lights depends on a number of factors, one of them being the weather, as cloudy skies block the aurora’s colorful hues.
Light pollution, when you’re near the city, can also impact your chances of spotting them, so your best bet is to settle in a rural location and look up.
Although auroras are best seen during winter months, this doesn’t mean they’re invisible to the naked eye. NOAA suggests traveling to a north-facing, high vantage point between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.
How to take photos of the northern lights?
The only thing more exciting than witnessing this cosmic spectacle is snapping a photo to prove it!
If you’re hoping to photograph the northern lights, you’re going to want to keep your setup as steady as possible, considering the northern lights are best captured with long exposures. But if you have a smartphone handy, that works, too!
All you have to do is head to your settings and hit the “Night Mode” option on your device.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
