Northern Lights May Be Easier To Spot In NJ Wednesday Night. Here's Where.

NORTH JERSEY, NJ — It was a year ago this month that New Jersey residents were able to see the Northern Lights throughout the state, after solar storms made for a rare display. Now, solar activity may bring more chances to see the lights later this month.

Shutterbugs and weather fans have spotted the colorful celestial display in upstate New York last month and early this month, and New Jersey residents are hoping a repeat of the display that appeared last year on Oct. 10.

(If you get a Northern Lights photo in New Jersey this month, send it to Patch.)

The National Weather Service offers predictions for the next two days, showing a map of where the lights may be seen.

The 27-day forecasts are here. Forecasts for the next 1-3 days are here.

One Day This Month

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that this Wednesday has the greatest chance for moderate solar storms.

That means the colorful phenomenon may be glimpsed further south than usual.

"Periods of G1 (minor) storm levels are likely on 20 Oct due to negative polarity CH HSS influences. Active conditions are likely over 25-26 Oct in response to negative polarity CH HSS influences," they write. "Periods of G1 storming are likely on 28 and 30 Oct, with periods of G2 (moderate) storming likely on 29 Oct, due to positive polarity CH HSS influences. G1 (minor) storms are likely again on 8 Nov due to the anticipated influences of another recurrent, negative polarity CH HSS."

The Aurora app says the Kp index for the North Jersey/New York City area will be 6 on the night of Oct. 29. The chances of seeing the lights are best with a Kp index of at least 5, the Washington Post wrote in a story about aurora borealis tourism. Last Oct. 10, the kp rose to as high as 8 when the phenomenon was glimpsed in New Jersey.

The lights can be glimpsed any time after dusk, but are usually seen later at night. Cloudy skies may obscure the view, but the forecast is for some clearing on Sunday and clear skies on Monday.

How To Snap A Photo

To snap a photo of the lights, face north and use a slow shutter speed if you can. Sometimes the display can't be seen with the naked eye, but can be seen if you turn up the exposure on the photo.

Last year, the National Weather Service in Mt. Holly shared this photo around 7:15 p.m. on Oct. 10. Residents from across the state weighed in with photos they took of the colorful skies.

Submit your New Jersey photos to Patch here.

🤩 Here is our view of the aurora borealis (northern lights from our office around 7:15 PM! What are you seeing at your location? pic.twitter.com/F4DiNKaDsQ
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) October 10, 2024

Why All Of A Sudden?

The display of lights, also called aurora borealis, appeared to the naked eye in Canada and northern parts of the U.S. last year because the sun was at the peak of an 11-year cycle, scientists said. During this "solar maximum," heightened geomagnetic storming increases the chances of seeing the aurora south of its usual Arctic range.

This year could also offer colors as Solar Cycle 25 reaches its peak, scientists say.

With more people on social media now than during the last solar maximum — which was back in 2013 — and more reading news sites and using apps such as Aurora, the word has been spreading rapidly about the brilliant displays, and photographers now post their images all across social media.

Those who wait all their lives to see the lights can head a few hours north if they want to take their best shots.

The chances of seeing lights generally increase around the fall equinox, when the sun produces a surplus of geomagnetic storms, almost twice the annual average.

See the photos that Patch readers in New Jersey captured last October.