The northern lights could light up the sky on Thursday night

CBC News

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 1:22 PM EST | Last Updated: November 7

Keep your fingers crossed for wide skies: the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is calling for a beardown geomagnetic storm, which could nutrient the bluish lights crossed overmuch of Canada and into the U.S.

Typically, we get the bluish lights aft a beardown star flare, wherever the magnetic fields get entangled and past snap, releasing aggravated bursts of radiation, which tin disrupt high-frequency vigor signals present connected Earth.

The flare is usually followed by a coronal wide ejection, oregon CME. The CME is simply a fast-moving watercourse of particles burped retired by the prima that travels precise accelerated on the star wind.

If Earth is successful its path, the particles interact with our magnetic tract and molecules successful the atmosphere, providing a beauteous airy amusement successful the sky.

There were 3 CMEs unleashed implicit the past 2 days. Two volition springiness Earth a glancing blow, portion the third, which happened connected Wednesday, is directed toward Earth, according to the SWPC.

The glancing blows whitethorn person been liable for the bluish lights, besides known arsenic the aurora borealis, being seen arsenic acold southbound arsenic Minnesota connected Wednesday night.

The SWPC is calling for a G3 geomagnetic storm, which is considered beardown connected its standard of G1 to G5.

As usual, there’s a caveat: these storms are hard to predict.

“There is simply a just measurement of assurance successful a Earth-directed facet to this CME and a mean level of assurance successful timing of the CME arrival—which we expect with a scope from arsenic aboriginal arsenic Thursday evening to Friday greeting [Eastern time],” the SWPC wrote yesterday.

“However, arsenic is accustomed with these events, we person little assurance successful the strength of the resultant geomagnetic tempest upon eventual CME accomplishment and passage. Therefore, this G3 Watch represents our forecast based connected potential. "

So, conscionable however beardown it could beryllium isn't known.

The different contented is that there's a afloat moon, which volition drown retired immoderate faint bluish lights. But there's inactive a chance, arsenic they were disposable connected Wednesday erstwhile the satellite was successful a akin phase.

The astir important portion is that you get to a determination with a bully presumption of the bluish horizon.

And, erstwhile again, retrieve that things request to enactment up for a bully display: the star upwind indispensable beryllium precise fast, and the auroral spread — on which the particles question — indispensable beryllium tilted south. The further southbound it is, the farther southbound they volition beryllium visible.

You tin spot if the aurora is disposable successful your determination by utilizing apps similar Aurora Alerts, and My Aurora Forecast.