‘Strong’ Northern Lights Alert For 20 States On Monday As CME Strikes

InnovationScience‘Strong’ Northern Lights Alert For 20 States On Monday As CME StrikesByJamie Carter,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky.Follow AuthorJun 07, 2026, 08:00am EDTThe northern lights may be visible overnight from up to 10 northern U.S. states. (Photo by Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images)dpa/picture alliance via Getty ImagesThe northern lights may be visible overnight from up to 20 northern U.S. states on Monday, June 8, through Tuesday, June 9, according to a forecast by space weather experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Here’s how to photograph the northern lights using a phone. The forecast includes a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm in the wake of a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched from the sun on Saturday, June 6. A CME is a cloud of magnetic fields and charged particles from the sun that streams into space at up to 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) per second, often after a solar flare. If a CME is Earth-directed, geomagnetic storms — and aurora displays — can result. ForbesHow I Photograph The Northern Lights With My Phone — By An ExpertBy Jamie CarterNorthern Lights Forecast: Coronal Mass Ejection ArrivesA CME can take a few days to travel from the sun to the Earth, where the charged particles accelerate down the field lines of Earth’s magnetic field. They collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms high in the atmosphere and excite the gases, causing them to release energy as shimmering light. An oval of green and red appears around Earth’s poles — and down to mid-latitudes if it’s strong enough. “G1-G2 (Minor-Moderate), with isolated periods of G3 (Strong), geomagnetic storming are likely to begin by mid UTC-day on 08 June with the arrival of the CME that left the Sun on 06 June,” said NOAA. “G1-G2 (Minor-Moderate) geomagnetic storming is likely to linger into the early portions of 09 June be...