This Thursday, skygazers in 17 states in the US will have a chance to see the Northern Lights due to an 11-year solar cycle making the lights visible farther South.
The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are most often seen in northern areas like Alaska, Canada, or the Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Finland.
But a solar cycle expected to peak in 2024 may make the solar phenomenon visible in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine, and Maryland.
The best viewing will occur far away from city lights, such as in a National Park, between 10PM and 2AM local time with auroral activity ranked a six on a scale of zero to nine.
Seven national parks currently require a reservation including Glacier National Park in Montana and Olympic National Park in Washington, but there are several others in the solar path that should be able to accommodate a last-minute camping request on a weekday.
This past April, an intense solar storm as part of the same solar cycle that began in 2019 gave residents of Washington a dazzling light display with Colorado, California, New Mexico, and even Arizona receiving a reddish glow from the lights instead of the typical green shimmer.
Learn more about the Northern Lights making an appearance in Arizona this past April below:
Featured image a stock photo from Pexels
