Northern Lights Alert: 10 States May See Aurora On Saturday Night

InnovationScienceNorthern Lights Alert: 10 States May See Aurora On Saturday NightByJamie Carter,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky.Follow AuthorMay 16, 2026, 04:15am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.The northern lights glow beyond Perry Lake Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, near Perry, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reservedThe northern lights may be visible this Saturday night in northern U.S. states and Canada after scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast a G1 geomagnetic storm will strike overnight. With a new moon on Saturday, May 16, the sky will be free from moonlight all weekend, allowing faint aurora to be seen.Northern Lights Alert: Where And WhenA G1 geomagnetic storm may mean aurora seen from northern U.S. states overnight on Saturday, May 16, through Sunday, May 17, likely as a greenish or reddish glow on the northern horizon. That makes it important to be away from urban light pollution in the northern sky, with resources including a light pollution map and a catalog of Dark Sky Places particularly useful.States with the potential to see northern lights include Alaska and (northerly parts of) Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine.If a G2-class geomagnetic storm erupts, aurora may be viewable from states farther south, such as Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.Northern Lights Alert: Coronal HoleThe forecast of aurora — for the third night in a row — comes in the wake of a coronal hole, a gap in the sun’s corona, its outer atmosphere. As a result, a fast-moving, turbulent solar wind is escaping from the sun and, crucially, coming straight at Earth.MORE FOR...