Make an extra pot of coffee, grab a blanket and stay up late for one of nature’s most breathtaking displays. The Northern Lights will put on a spectacular show this weekend, after two powerful solar storms. One of these solar flares is the strongest we have seen in this solar cycle and the most powerful solar flare since 2017.

Not one, but two powerful solar flares

The forecasters at the Space Weather Prediction Center have issued strong geomagnetic storm watches for the upcoming weekend, October 4-6. This is the result of two solar flares that both launched coronal mass ejections (CMEs) towards Earth, which are expected to arrive within the next three days.

The first eruption erupted on October 1 with an X rating of 7.1. At the time, it was the second strongest solar flare of the current solar cycle, behind only the mid-May eruption with a magnitude of X8.7, which produced this stunning late spring event.

The latest solar flare that erupted on October 3 certainly made a statement, registering an impressive X9.0 rating and surpassing the mid-May eruption to become the strongest solar flare of this solar cycle and the strongest solar flare since 2017.

View Aurora Borealis

It can be challenging to determine exactly when and where the aurora will be at its peak, as it can take minutes or even hours. The best chance to see the aurora is to move away from the city lights and look toward the northern horizon.

It’s useful to check an aurora forecast before heading out to view the display. The photos below are a forecast of the intensity and location of the aurora on Friday and Saturday evenings in North America. The red line, known as the ‘line of sight’, indicates how far south the aurora will be visible.

If escaping the bright city lights isn’t possible, use your cell phone camera or another digital camera to capture the dancing lights. A camera can use a longer exposure time to collect light over time, creating an image of the colorful lights that our eyes may not be able to see.

Mother Nature provides mostly clear skies

Our night skies will be mostly clear Friday and Saturday nights, creating ideal conditions for viewing the Northern Lights. However, northern Minnesota will see some increasing cloudiness in the early morning hours on Saturday, with residual cloudiness from the cold front late on Saturday.

Happy Aurora hunting!