A strong geomagnetic storm will light up the night sky.

Brew an extra pot of coffee, grab a blanket, and stay up late to enjoy one of nature's most breathtaking spectacles. After two strong solar storms, the Northern Lights will put on a spectacular display this weekend. One of these solar flares is the strongest we have seen this solar cycle and the strongest flare since 2017.

Not one, but two powerful solar flares

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

The first outbreak erupted on October 1st with an X rating of 7.1. At the time, it was the second most powerful solar flare of the current solar cycle, behind only the mid-May eruption at magnitude X8.7 that triggered this stunning late spring event.

The most recent eruption, which erupted on October 3rd, certainly made a statement. It recorded an impressive rating of X9.0, surpassing the mid-May eruption. This made it the strongest solar flare of this solar cycle and the strongest flare since 2017.

Observation of the Aurora Borealis

It can be difficult to determine exactly when and where the Northern Lights will peak, as it can last for minutes or even hours. The best chance of seeing the Northern Lights is to move away from the city lights and look towards the northern horizon.

It's helpful to check the aurora forecast before heading out to view the display. The following photos are a forecast of the intensity and location of the Northern Lights on Friday and Saturday evening across North America. The red line, known as the “line of sight,” shows how far south the aurora will be visible.

If escaping the bright city lights isn't possible, using your cell phone camera or another digital camera can help 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 ensures mostly clear skies

Our night sky will be mostly clear on Friday and Saturday evening, creating ideal conditions for viewing the Northern Lights. However, northern Minnesota will see increasing cloudiness during the early morning hours of Saturday, and there will be some remaining cloud cover from the cold front late Saturday.

Have fun aurora hunting!