Northern Lights Possible Over MI Tuesday: What To Know

The northern lights are again possible over Michigan Tuesday night, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center map shows Michiganders in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula may get a chance to see the dazzling display. The lights may reach as far down as West Branch.

The National Weather Service calls for mostly clear skies over both regions of the state, providing a spectacular chance to see the lights.

Experts say the best place to see the lights are in Michigan’s dark sky parks, including Headlands International in Mackinaw City, Keweenaw in Cooper Harbor and Dr. T.K. Lawless in Jones.

Camera lenses are more sensitive than the naked eye, and smartphones may help viewers spot fainter displays that are more difficult to see.

Forecasters expect a geomagnetic storm, which is a large expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s atmosphere. When those particles collide with the Earth’s atmosphere, they create the northern lights, or aurora borealis.

Forecasters believe the storm will produce a Kp index of 4. They use the Kp to determine the intensity of the storm. It is judged on a grading scale from zero to 9. An index of 5 or greater typically means the northern lights may be visible across Michigan.