Northern Lights in Michigan: Whole state could see aurora again Friday night
The Northern Lights in Royal Oak on Oct. 10, 2024 (Amber Ainsworth/FOX 2)
DETROIT (FOX 2) - After the Northern Lights put on a show for the state, including Metro Detroit, the same view is forecasted to grace Michigan skies Friday night.
Friday's view line for the aurora encompasses all of Michigan again Friday, with the chance of seeing the lights most likely from the middle of the state and up. Much of the Upper Peninsula is currently marked red on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center prediction map, meaning the area has the strongest chance of seeing the aurora.
VIEW: Northern Lights dazzle in Metro Detroit
Saturday's view line cuts off before the bottom of the state.
Northern Light view lines for Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 (Photo: Space Weather Prediction Center)
Earlier this week, the NOAA forcecasted a severe solar storm fueled by a coronal mass ejection (CME) that began Tuesday evening. According to NOAA, CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona. They cause geomagnetic storms when they are directed at Earth.
The geomagnetic storm alert for Friday night is now at G-3 - strong.
READ: Why the aurora has been visible so much lately
The NOAA last issued a G-4 severe geomagnetic storm alert in May, when the Northern Lights were visible all over the state, including here in Detroit. May was the first time a severe geometric storm watch had been issued since January 2005.
Of course, weather is a key factor in seeing the lights. As of Friday morning, the skies are expected to be clear for tonight, so keep your eyes to the sky!
Check the weather forecast here.
How to see the Northern Lights
Head to a dark area. In Michigan, the more north you travel, the darker it tends to be. Check this light pollution map to find darker areas.
The aurora is often most visible around midnight. When the time to see the lights is near, use this 30-minute aurora forecast to see where it is.
Also, just because you cannot see the aurora with your eyes does not mean it isn't there. When it is dark out and the aurora is predicted to be strong, try taking a photo with your phone camera in night mode. Doing so helped many in Metro Detroit capture the Northern Lights during May's severe geomagnetic storm.
When the time to see the lights is near, use this 30-minute aurora forecast to see where it is.