A number of northern states in the US may have a chance to see the northern lights and Perseid meteor shower on Sunday night into Monday morning due to increased geomagnetic activity. The aurora borealis forecast for this period has a Kp index range of 3.33-5.67, making the lights expected to become brighter and more pleasing to view. A geomagnetic storm watch is in place through Sunday following an eruption of solar material on Wednesday and Thursday, which may make the lights visible from states such as Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, northern New York, and northern Maine.
The lights may be visible alongside the Perseid meteor shower, which is expected to peak between Sunday night and Monday morning. To view the aurora best, NOAA recommends finding a dark location away from city lights and viewing between 10 pm and 2 am local time.
The northern lights have been more visible in the US since May due to very active sunspots, which have led to solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The sun’s activity is expected to continue increasing ahead of its peak late this year and early 2026, with NOAA predicting as many as 115 sunspots during the peak.
The Perseid meteor shower is also expected to be visible this weekend, with over 50 meteors per hour possible. The best time to view the shower is after midnight, according to the American Meteor Society.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2024/08/11/northern-lights-forecast-heres-where-you-may-be-able-to-see-aurora-borealis/