Upgraded ‘Severe’ Northern Lights Alert For 23 States Thursday

InnovationScienceUpgraded ‘Severe’ Northern Lights Alert For 23 States ThursdayByJamie Carter,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky.Follow AuthorJun 04, 2026, 08:18am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.NOAA's aurora viewline prediction for overnight on Thursday, June 4, through Friday, June 5, 2026. NOAAThe forecast for this week’s northern lights display has been significantly upgraded, with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center now warning that strong to severe geomagnetic storms could now develop on Thursday, June 4, and continue into Friday, June 5, as multiple coronal mass ejections slam into Earth’s magnetic field.CMEs are clouds of superheated gas and magnetic fields blasted into space by the sun in the wake of solar flares.Skywatchers in northern U.S. states are advised to get outside and look north if skies are clear as it gets dark across North America. An 82%-lit waning gibbous moon will rise in the east after midnight and brighten the night sky, potentially interfering with faint aurora. Forbes‘Severe’ Northern Lights Alert For 23 States On Thursday And FridayBy Jamie CarterAurora Tonight: Alert UpdatedEarlier forecasts suggested the strongest aurora activity would occur primarily on Friday. However, NOAA’s latest space weather outlook indicates that G2 (Moderate) and G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storms are likely in North America on Thursday afternoon and evening, with a chance of isolated G4 (Severe) conditions at the peak of the event at night.In its latest forecast discussion, NOAA said: “Geomagnetic field conditions are expected to escalate rapidly from quiet to active, reaching up to G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storming levels mid-to late on 04 June and persisting into 05 June in response to the multiple CME arrivals.”MORE FOR YOUForecasters added...