The northern lights could light up the skies above several U.S. states this weekend.
The aurora borealis will be visible January 16 and 17 over North America, and most prevalent for those states on the northern border of the mainland, according to a forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.
Friday offers the highest odds of visibility for most Americans, with the northern lights potentially visible in states stretching from Washington to Maine, and as far south as Iowa. And Friday’s aurora could be brighter, with a score of 5 out of 9 on an index measuring the three-day geomagnetic forecast.
For aurora borealis fanatics, NOAA offers an even more detailed 30- to 90-minute forecast of the location and intensity of the lights. This weekend will mark the first in 2026 when the northern lights are predicted to be visible in the U.S.
When and where to see the northern lights
Northern lights can bring vibrant greens and purples to the night sky, and the best aurora is typically in the 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. period. NOAA recommends facing north in a spot away from light pollution for the best viewing.
According to NOAA, the aurora borealis could be visible in up to 15 states on Friday: Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
If you seem to be seeing the northern lights more frequently than you recall in the past—or, at the very least, hearing about them—it’s true: They’ve become a more common sighting in recent years. Astronomers say that’s because the sun is at the maximum of its 11-year solar cycle.
“During solar maximum, the sun blazes with bright flares and solar eruptions,” according to information from NASA about the current solar cycle that began in 2019.
Look to the sky
The northern lights won’t be the only highlight of the night sky this weekend: If you missed the optimal naked-eye viewing of Jupiter last weekend, when it was its biggest and brightest for the year, the largest planet in our solar system will also light up the sky this weekend with a bright orange color. With small binoculars, you may even be able to view Jupiter’s four moons.
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will also be visible this weekend, according to the Sky Live.