Archive · 8 Oct 2026
Northern Lights May Appear Across North America Tonight
A burst of energy from the Sun is heading toward Earth.
It can make Earth’s upper atmosphere glow, creating the northern lights.
The lights may be visible in Canada and parts of the United States on Thursday night and early Friday.
The exact places depend on how strong the storm becomes and whether skies are clear.
People have a better chance of seeing them away from bright city lights.
Let your eyes adjust in the dark for about 20 minutes.
A phone camera may capture colors that look faint to your eyes.
Night Mode or a longer exposure can help, especially if you keep the phone still.
A solar flare-triggered coronal mass ejection is expected to create geomagnetic storm conditions overnight Thursday into early Friday.
The aurora may begin around 11 p.m. ET Thursday, with another possible surge around 5 a.m. ET Friday.
Canada is forecast to have potential visibility across all ten provinces and three territories if skies are clear.
In the United States, visibility is expected across northern states, with possible farther-south sightings if the storm reaches moderate G2 strength.
The article recommends finding dark skies and using a phone’s Night Mode or a 3-to-5-second exposure to photograph faint auroras.
- Who
- Skywatchers in Canada and the United States; NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centre is cited as the source of the forecast.
- What
- A solar flare-related geomagnetic storm may produce visible northern lights.
- When
- Thursday night, October 8, into early Friday, October 9; the article gives about 11 p.m. ET and a possible surge around 5 a.m. ET.
- Where
- Across Canada and northern U.S. states, with possible visibility farther south if the storm strengthens.
- Why
- Charged particles from a coronal mass ejection are interacting with Earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere.
- Forecast period
- Thursday night, October 8, into early Friday, October 9
- Possible start
- Around 11 p.m. ET Thursday
- Possible later surge
- Around 5 a.m. ET Friday
- Canada
- Potential visibility across all ten provinces and three territories, weather permitting
- U.S. states named
- Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont and Maine
- Possible southern reach
- Oregon, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York if the storm reaches moderate G2 strength
- CME speed
- More than 500 kilometres per second, according to the article
- Viewing tip
- Use Night Mode or a 3-to-5-second exposure, keeping the phone still