Guide

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Northern lights on a strong geomagnetic storm night

All year

On rare nights when NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts a strong geomagnetic storm, the northern lights may reach far enough south to glow low on the northern horizon. A phone camera on night mode often records green and red where the eye may see only faint grey or white.

Why this time of year

This card is only for a night with a storm watch. On an ordinary night the aurora stays far to the north, so check the NOAA forecast first and skip the card if there is no watch.

How to notice it

  1. Check the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center aurora forecast and storm watches first. Strong storms (G3, Kp 7) have put aurora as far south as Illinois and Oregon, but a storm watch is a chance, not a promise.
  2. Go out after dark with a clear view to the north, away from bright lights. The best window is usually within an hour or two of midnight, 10 PM to 2 AM.
  3. Look low on the northern horizon for a grey or faint pale glow, then take a photo with night mode and steady the phone on something solid.
  4. Compare the photo with what you saw. The picture often shows more color than your eyes did.

Try this with kids: Look north, then take one photo. Does the picture show a color your eyes missed?

Word to know: “Kp” is NOAA's 0-to-9 scale of how disturbed Earth's magnetic field is, and higher numbers push the aurora farther south.

Safety

  • Dress warmly and bring a flashlight for the walk, then turn it off while you watch.
  • Pick a safe spot away from traffic and keep clear of roads.

Sources

  • spaceweather.govG3 (Strong) = Kp 7, aurora seen as low as Illinois and Oregon (typically 50 deg geomagnetic lat); G4 = Kp 8 incl 9-, as low as Alabama and northern California (45 deg).
  • spaceweather.govOrdinary-night baseline: best observed under an oval between about 60 and 75 degrees latitude.
  • spaceweather.govGo out at night, get away from city lights; best aurora usually within an hour or two of midnight (10 PM - 2 AM local); Kp ranges 0 to 9.
  • nps.govNPS ranger at a mid-latitude site: to the eye the aurora looked gray near the horizon and pink to pale red higher; set camera to night shot and prop it steady.
  • earthsky.orgEye sees faint aurora in shades of gray; cameras with long exposures record color.

Checked against these sources on October 9, 2026.

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