Some Hoosiers who gaze up into the night sky beginning Thursday evening might catch a glimpse of the northern lights. The aurora borealis appears to be weaving its way further south after increased recent solar activity .
Northern states along the U.S.-Canadian border — Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin Michigan into New England — appear to be prime viewing spots to witness the northern lights Thursday into Friday.
Indiana, at least its northern half, falls within the southern extent of where auroras might appear. And while that's a big 'might ' given how fickle space weather can be, it wouldn't be the first time Hoosiers have witnessed their dazzling display this year.
Here's what people living in Indiana should know.
Earth is under a severe geomagnetic storm watch
Space weather forecasters at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a rare (G4) severe geomagnetic storm warning beginning Thursday, Oct. 10 and stretching into Friday, Oct. 11. The agency is monitoring solar conditions after a strong X -class flare pushed out a coronal mass ejection from the center of the sun Wednesday.
The solar storm, according to space weather forecasters, was headed toward Earth at a staggering 2.5 million mph.
"It's going to arrive (Thursday) morning to midday eastern time and perhaps continue on into the following day," said Shawn Dahl, a space weather forecaster with SWPC, during an hour-long briefing Wednesday to media.
Dahl said the sun was in the midst of its solar maximum , a period of peak solar activity that occurs roughly every 11 years. During this time, experts say the sun can spew more energy and solar material into space. The results can potentially interfere with satellites, radio waves and power grids.
These same solar storms also can produce beautiful auroras .
Article continues after photo gallery.
Will Indiana see the northern lights Thursday?
Space weather — much like weather in the Midwest — is a fickle thing. Unlike our terrestrial weather, scientists who forecast celestial events rely on observations of the sun from 93-million miles away to make their predictions.
As it stands, Hoosiers living in the northern half of Indiana have a slightly better chance Thursday for spotting the northern lights. The chances lessen Friday, according to Dr. Aarran Shaw, who serves as director of Holcomb Observatory . and teaches Physics and Astronomy at Butler University.
"There is certainly a chance," Shaw said in a message to IndyStar. "In fact, (Thursday's) forecast is better than Friday's."
Auroras, experts say, can be found 100 to 400 km (60 to 250 miles) above the Earth’s surface. That means Hoosiers should look upward and outward toward the northern sky to catch Thursday's potential show.
Indiana's best place to see auroras might be near Indiana Dunes State Park
Shaw said the further north in Indiana you travel, the better the odds you have of spotting auroras, and near Gary might be ideal for stargazing.
"I believe Beverly Shores , close to Gary, is an International Dark Sky location which would be a prime spot for viewing the Aurora," Shaw said. "Similarly, I believe there is another dark sky location just northeast of South Bend, just across the Michigan border.
Both Kemil Beach at Indiana Dunes State Park and Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park in Michigan are designated dark sky locations, according to DarkSky International .
Tips for viewing the northern lights
Shaw recommended Hoosiers get out of the city, if they can, and find a place devoid of light pollution to witness the northern lights.
Experts say the best auroras are usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time). These hours expand towards evening and morning as the level of geomagnetic activity increases. There may be aurora in the evening and morning, but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing, according to NOAA.
Don't forget about October's comet
If you don't see any auroras, keep stargazing. You might have a shot at spotting a rare comet hurtling through October's night sky.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS: How to see October's 'comet of the century' in Indiana before it disappears
This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports .
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Hoosiers might see northern lights starting Thursday. Indiana's best spot to see them is here
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