Northern Lights Possible Saturday In MI: What To Know

MICHIGAN — The northern lights may be possible in some parts of Michigan this weekend.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said there is a chance for a G1 (Minor) or greater geomagnetic storm after a coronal mass ejection from the sun on Tuesday.

The best chance to see the aurora borealis will be in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula where the K Index (the measure of auroral strength) shows a 5.33 out of 9 for Saturday. The index also shows a 4.0 for Friday.

However, there is a chance for snow across most of northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula on Friday and Saturday nights, possibly interfering with the chance to see the lights.

If skies are clear, the best place to see the lights are in Michigan’s dark sky parks, which are: 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.

The aurora borealis — or in the Southern Hemisphere, the aurora australis, are caused by solar wind, which carries a stream of charged particles, known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, from the sun’s atmosphere, creating a colorful and swirling glow in the sky.