Northern Lights Alert: 10 States And NASA Crew May See Aurora Thursday

Forecasters say a G1–G2 geomagnetic storm is likely after a CME struck Earth’s magnetic field on April 1.

The event followed an X1.5-class solar flare from sunspot 4405 on March 30 that produced a coronal mass ejection.

Auroras may appear low on the northern horizon in the hours after sunset on April 2, with the auroral oval expected to be enhanced by coronal hole fast winds.

Up to 10 U.S. states near the Canada border could see the lights, with best chances in Alaska and northern parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine.

If the storm reaches G2, auroras could be visible farther south (Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire); NASA’s Artemis II launched April 1 and is now in Earth orbit.