Northern lights illuminate the sky across 22 states tonight — here’s who gets to see the show

Northern Lights to Illuminate Skies Across 22 States Tonight

A recent solar eruption has sparked an extraordinary celestial display. Stargazers in New York and beyond may witness a spectacular northern lights show tonight due to a strong geomagnetic storm.

Solar Flare and Coronal Mass Ejection

On November 5, the sun released an M7.4 solar flare, ejecting a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)—a burst of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s outer layer. The CME is traveling at speeds between 2.5 and 3.1 million mph, according to Space.com.

Arrival and Impact Predictions

The CME is expected to reach Earth late on November 6 or early November 7. This event could trigger a G3-level geomagnetic storm, described as strong by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

“Watches have been issued for these times with moderate to high confidence in timing, and moderate confidence in magnitude,” NOAA writes.

Effects on Auroras

If the CME arrives as predicted, it may amplify auroras from the polar regions down to the U.S. Midwest, creating perfect conditions for viewing the Northern Lights.

“A whole train of big #solarstorms are on their way, along with some smaller storms hitting now, and some fast solar wind!” said space weather physicist Tamitha Skov on X. “It is an #aurora photographer’s dream starting now and lasting at least through the weekend.”

Summary

This solar event offers a rare chance to see intensified auroras across a wide area, thrilling northern lights enthusiasts.

Author’s summary: A powerful solar flare and CME are expected to create vivid northern lights visible across 22 U.S. states, providing a spectacular natural light show.

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New York Post New York Post — 2025-11-06

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