Dec 31, 2024 - Science

Northern lights may be visible for some in U.S. on New Year's Eve

Ivana Saric

The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), which emerge as a result of the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and charged particles coming from the Sun, are seen in the Hatcher Pass region of Alaska, United States on November 9, — The northern lights seen in the Hatcher Pass region of Alaska on Nov. 9. Photo: Hasan Akbas/Anadolu via Getty Images

The northern lights will inject additional dazzle for some across the U.S. this New Year's Eve.

The big picture: An incoming solar storm on Tuesday night will provide aurora viewers in many northern states and "some of the lower Midwest to Oregon" one last chance to catch the lights this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

Driving the news: NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center on Sunday issued a strong G3 geomagnetic storm watch for Tuesday night.

A coronal mass ejection — a large burst of plasma from the Sun — will arrive at Earth Tuesday, causing the geomagnetic storm that could make the northern lights visible.
The geomagnetic storm is expected to last through Jan. 1, though the storm's intensity will lessen on the second day, per NOAA.

Go deeper... In photos: Northern lights dazzle skies across the U.S. and world

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Northern lights may be visible for some in U.S. on New Year's Eve

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