Geomagnetic Storms Could Make Northern Lights Visible In IL This Week

ILLINOIS — The aurora borealis, or northern lights, may be visible Monday night in 17 northern and Midwest states, including Illinois, weather conditions permitting.

The possibility the auroras will dance comes after the Space Weather Prediction Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, detected a coronal mass ejection on Saturday that is expected to cause moderate geomagnetic storms.

That can result in colorful green, red and purple light that shifts gently and often changes in shape, like softly blowing curtains, over Illinois. NOAA explains.

The National Weather Service forecasts rain and possibly freezing rain, freezing drizzle and snow in Illinois Monday and Tuesday nights.

Other states where the auroras may be visible on Monday include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Additionally, parts of Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan could see auroras Tuesday night.

When geomagnetic storming occurs, some of the energy and small particles can travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into Earth’s atmosphere. There, these particles interact with gasses in our atmosphere, resulting in ethereal light displays in the night sky.

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Generally speaking, the lights could be visible from 7 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday until 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. Even if you don’t see anything, take a photo of the northern sky with your cellphone camera. The devices are better than the human eye in picking up northern lights.

For the latest on what’s happening in Illinois, check out the Space Weather Prediction Center’s 30-minute aurora forecast.

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Scientists expect 2024 to be a spectacular year for the aurora borealis, or northern lights, as the sun reaches the peak of its 11-year cycle, called “solar maximum.” Solar activity is expected to be greatest, occurring a year earlier and with greater intensity than scientists previously predicted.

Predicting when the auroras might grace the skies is tricky, but northern lights displays are typically tied to violent solar flares and storms.

If what happened in 2023 is an indication, the auroras will continue to dip far south from the Arctic and Antarctic circles, where they’re typically seen, into regions where the ethereal spectacle is rarely seen. In 2023, people living as far south as Arizona, Texas and the Carolinas reported seeing the northern lights on several occasions