Northern Lights Alert: 10 States Enter Aurora ‘Strike Zone’ On Friday

InnovationScienceNorthern Lights Alert: 10 States Enter Aurora ‘Strike Zone’ On FridayByJamie Carter,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky.Follow AuthorMay 15, 2026, 02:00am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.NOAA's aurora viewline forecast for overnight on Friday-Saturday, May 15-16, 2026. NOAAIn the wake of last night’s display, the northern lights may be visible this Friday night in northern U.S. states and Canada after forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a G1 geomagnetic storm may strike overnight. With a new moon on Saturday, May 16, the sky will be free from moonlight, allowing faint aurora to be seen.Northern Lights Alert: Coronal HoleIt comes in the wake of a coronal hole — a gap in the sun’s corona, its outer atmosphere — which is causing fast-moving solar wind to escape. That turbulence is directed toward Earth, which could spark a geomagnetic storm as charged particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field. They then accelerate down its magnetic field lines at the north and south poles to create ovals of green and red.Northern Lights Alert: Where And WhenA G1 geomagnetic storm may mean aurora seen from northern U.S. states overnight on Friday, May 15, through Saturday, May 16, likely on the northern horizon.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.MORE FOR YOUGOES 19's view of the coronal hole on the sun on May 14, 2026. NASA SDONorthern Lights Alert: Solar ActivitySolar a...