Will The Northern Lights Be Visible Throughout California This Weekend?

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, may be visible in several U.S. states this weekend due to a G2-level solar storm. According to FOX40 , the storm, which is expected to hit late Friday (May 31) into early Saturday (June 1), is much weaker than the extreme G5 storms observed earlier this month . However, even G2-level solar activity can make the northern lights visible in northern states.

The aurora forecast for Friday night shows the best chances along the U.S.-Canada border, with visibility extending into Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Unfortunately, the line of visibility does not extend as far south as California .

To spot the northern lights, viewers should look towards the northern horizon. Using a phone camera can also help, as newer phones have lenses that are much more sensitive to light than our eyes, allowing them to capture the aurora even when it’s not visible with the naked eye.

The increased aurora activity is due to the sun getting closer to solar maximum, a phase in the sun's natural 11-year cycle where it shifts from relatively calm to stormy, and its magnetic poles reverse. Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, form near sunspots during this phase. These are essentially explosions of plasma and magnetic material shooting out of the sun. When they hit our magnetic field, currents send particles flowing to poles, causing the aurora to appear in our skies.