Northern Lights possible tonight with geomagnetic storm watch

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1. Weather

• Published: May. 05, 2024, 6:06 p.m.

Northern Lights/ Aurora Borealis appear over Ludington State Park around 2:40 a.m. on Nov. 3, 2015 in Ludington, Mich. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)

Ready to cap the weekend with some great sky-gazing? You're in luck. We could be in for a Northern Lights show tonight.

The National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center says we're under a Geomagnetic Storm Watch tonight after a recent coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun that could change the intensity of the solar wind hitting Earth. This could spark some colorful auroras. Paired with clearing skies, it could be a good night to look up to see if you can catch the Northern Lights.

Auroras could be visible over some northern and Midwest states from New York west to Idaho, the NWS said.

"Keep an eye on the skies tonight!, National Weather Service meteorologists in Marquette said earlier today. "After daytime cumulus diminishes this evening, skies will be mostly clear, which should allow any night owls out there a chance to catch a view of the Aurora.

"Remember: the best time to view them is within a couple hours of midnight (around 10 p.m.-2 a.m.). Some patchy fog will be possible towards morning across portions of the area, then expect another sunny and pleasant spring day Monday."

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