Geomagnetic Storm Could Bring Northern Lights to Our Skies Tonight

A strong geomagnetic storm is currently impacting Earth’s magnetic field and could make the aurora borealis, the northern lights, visible much farther south than usual this evening.

The northern lights captured from Browntown Overlook on Skyline Drive during the October 11, 2024, geomagnetic storm. Tonight’s storm could be even more intense, with key space weather indicators already aligning for what may be a historic aurora event. Photo by DOK.

The storm was triggered by a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun that erupted on January 18 and is now interacting with Earth’s magnetic field, prompting a G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm watch from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. Severe geomagnetic conditions are expected late tonight as particles from the CME arrive and flow around Earth’s magnetosphere.

This heightened geomagnetic activity increases the chance that auroras will be visible at lower latitudes than usual, possibly as far south as parts of the northern United States, and, depending on conditions, even farther. Skywatchers in the Mid-Atlantic and beyond are being encouraged to look northward after dark, away from city lights, for a chance to see the shimmering lights if skies are clear.

Geomagnetic storms of this strength are relatively rare, and when they hit, they can briefly disrupt radio communications and satellite signals, but they also give us a chance to witness one of nature’s most spectacular sky shows.

Stay tuned for updates, and don’t forget, dark skies and a northern horizon offer the best chance of catching a glimpse tonight.