Archive · 8 Dec 2025
Northern Lights May Be Visible in US
The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, might be visible in some northern US states on the night of December 7 and into the early hours of December 8.
This happens because of a big burst of charged particles from the sun, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), which interacts with Earth's magnetic field.
The lights are created when these particles collide with gases in our atmosphere, making them glow in different colors.
The moon might make it a bit harder to see the lights because it's still quite bright, but people with cameras might still be able to capture them.
This event is also happening at the same time as the Geminid meteor shower, which is a big annual event where many meteors streak across the sky.
To see the Northern Lights, it's best to find a dark, open space away from city lights.
The Northern Lights may be visible in northern US states on December 7-8, 2025, due to a G1-rated geomagnetic storm caused by a coronal mass ejection (CME) and solar flare.
The event coincides with the Geminid meteor shower, which is expected to peak on December 13-14, 2025.
The waning gibbous moon may affect visibility, making faint auroras difficult to see with the naked eye, but cameras may still capture them.
Faint auroras may appear near the northern horizon in states like Alaska, Northern Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Maine.
The best viewing conditions are dark, open spaces with minimal light pollution, and tools like the Dark Sky Place Finder can help locate ideal viewing areas.
- Who
- Skywatchers in northern US states
- What
- Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) visibility
- When
- Night of December 7 to early December 8, 2025
- Where
- Northern parts of the United States, including Alaska, Northern Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Maine
- Why
- Due to a G1-rated geomagnetic storm caused by a coronal mass ejection (CME) and solar flare, which distorts Earth's magnetic field and creates vivid auroral displays
- Date
- December 7-8, 2025
- Affected States
- Alaska, Northern Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Maine
- Cause
- Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) and solar flare
- Moon Phase
- Waning gibbous
- Meteor Shower
- Geminid meteor shower
- Aurora Visibility
- Faint, may require cameras
- Best Viewing Conditions
- Dark, open spaces with minimal light pollution