Will Northern Lights Be Back Over New York Skies Friday?

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers were entranced by a rare sighting of the Northern Lights over the city on Thursday night, but unfortunately, forecasters are saying it would be unlikely to see the auroras again in the city on Friday night.

The current aurora map from the Space Weather Prediction Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows the aurora may be seen as far south as northern Iowa on Friday night. But, the view line curves in a way that would miss New York City entirely.

Forecasters are predicting that you would have to go much further upstate, or even Canada, to try to see the lights tonight.

"It has been a LONG time since we’ve seen visible aurora over NYC and it will likely be a long time until we see it again," Twitter account New York City Metro Weather posted on Thursday night.

The aurora borealis was visible on Thursday due to a strong X-class solar flare and coronal mass ejection from the sun's surface on Tuesday, which released a burst of energy and particles that entered Earth's atmosphere.

The solar ejection also resulted in a severe G4-level geomagnetic storm, which is when the planet's magnetic field is disrupted, leading to issues like radio and internet blackouts, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The geomagnetic storm is expected to subside by Saturday, officials said.

If the aurora doesn’t materialize this time around, don't worry — there are plenty more chances for people to see them. Solar Cycle’s 25 solar maximum may not occur until early 2025, and 2026 could be a busy year for solar activity, officials say.

Activity this solar cycle has surprised space weather scientists and forecasters. Solar Cycle 25 is the most active on record, and they’re not quite sure why.

“It’s one of the many mysteries to unravel,” space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl said in a press briefing on Wednesday.