Northern Lights Alert: Northern Lights to dazzle us again TONIGHT after massive X2 class solar flare

The sun emitted a massive solar flare that erupted on Oct. 31, unleashing another weekend of increased visibility of northern lights across the upper Midwest to kick off the first of November.

Saturday’s northern lights forecast offers a more robust viewing line for Michigan. Saturday and Sunday are the best days to view the northern lights after a massive solar flare classified as an X2— the strongest are noted with an (X) erupted on the evening of Oct. 31.

Northern lights view line for Saturday, Nov. 2:

Northern lights view line for Sunday, Nov. 3:

So far this year, there has been no shortage of spectacular northern light sky shows, such as in May 2024 when the intense geometric storm reached as far south as Texas and Alabama. “In May, the storm created the strongest geomagnetic storm at Earth in two decades — and possibly among the strongest displays of auroras on record in the past 500 years,” NASA stated.

Solar flare eruptions are associated with coronal mass ejections, which occur when plasma from the sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. When the solar material reaches Earth, geomagnetic storms can occur, producing the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights.

 

While solar cycle 25 began in December 2019, the cycle is measured as an approximate 11-year cycle. It is a period when solar eruptions are more frequent as the sun reaches the solar maximum, which scientists predict is now, the International Solar Cycle Prediction Panel reported. This will include an increase in solar and geomagnetic storms during the current solar maximum period that will continue to lead to more opportunities to view auroras, also known as the northern lights, over the next several months, along with the potential technology impacts.