The northern lights could be visible in more than 10 states, including parts of Michigan, on Friday and Saturday.
A coronal mass ejection, which is a large expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s atmosphere, is expected to spark geomagnetic storms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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This could trigger the northern lights, or aurora borealis, which happen when those particles from the sun collide with the Earth’s atmosphere.
Combined effects from a CME which lifted off the Sun on 05 Aug and a coronal hole high speed stream are expected to cause geomagnetic storming on 08-09 Aug. A G2 (Moderate) watch was issued for 08 Aug with the onset of activity. A G1 (Minor) watch was issued for 09 Aug. pic.twitter.com/KgKFfLpzSu
— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) August 6, 2025
What states will the northern lights be visible in?
The northern lights are expected to be visible in several states Friday-Saturday.
People in northern and upper Midwest states have the chance to see the phenomenon.
Below is the current view line for tonight (Friday, Aug. 8). As you can see, the red view line crosses through Michigan.
On Saturday, Michigan residents in the Upper Peninsula will still have the chance to see the northern lights.
Here’s the predicted view line for tomorrow night:
To see more information about the aurora forecast maps, visit here.
“Aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise,” according to NOAA. “The aurora is not visible during daylight hours. The aurora does not need to be directly overhead but can be observed from as much as 1000 km away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right.”
What are the northern lights?
The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres.
They are known as ‘Aurora borealis’ in the north and ‘Aurora Australis’ in the south. Auroral displays appear in many colors, although pale green and pink are the most common. Shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet have been reported.
The lights appear in many forms, from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow.