Topline
The northern lights could be visible from some northern states on Thursday night, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said, as lingering effects of solar winds could continue to impact the Earth’s magnetic field and cause geomagnetic storms.
The aurora could be visible from some northern states on Thursday, forecasters said.
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Key Facts
Forecasters at NOAA are predicting a Kp index of three out of nine on Thursday night, indicating the aurora could appear “brighter,” with more activity like “motion and formations.”
Solar winds from a coronal hole will likely continue causing minor to moderate geomagnetic storms on Thursday, forecasters said in their three-day forecast.
What Are Coronal Holes?
Coronal holes are relatively cooler, less dense regions of the sun that appear darker in photographs taken by astronomers. These regions have open magnetic fields, which allow solar winds to escape, which can travel at high speeds towards the Earth. When they interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, they cause geomagnetic storms. The storms expected on Thursday night are only expected to be G2 out of five on NOAA’s scale measuring intensity, but even these storms can cause the aurora to appear more intense and visible further south in the lower 48 states.
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2025/12/04/northern-lights-forecast-heres-where-the-aurora-could-be-visible-on-thursday-night/
