On the night of March 31, 2026, a rare and dazzling spectacle lit up the skies across much of the northern United States: the aurora borealis, or northern lights, made a special appearance, treating millions to a cosmic show that is usually reserved for the far reaches of Alaska or Canada. Thanks to a potent burst of solar activity, residents from Oregon to Maine found themselves looking up in awe, hoping for a glimpse of nature’s neon ribbons.
This extraordinary event was set in motion by a “fairly fast coronal mass ejection” (CME) detected over the weekend, prompting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a geomagnetic storm watch for the week. According to NOAA, the CME—a massive eruption of solar material and magnetic fields—was expected to reach Earth and trigger a geomagnetic response, potentially pushing the aurora farther south than usual. “A CME is anticipated to reach and impact Earth with elevated geomagnetic response and dependent upon the orientation of the embedded magnetic field,” NOAA explained in a Facebook post.
The result? The northern lights became visible across a swath of 16 U.S. states, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Alaska. Even states like Nebraska found themselves within the aurora’s view line, according to detailed forecasts shared by the Space Weather Prediction Center and reported by outlets such as BBC Sky at Night Magazine and Space.com.
March is considered prime time for aurora viewing, thanks to the spring equinox. This seasonal boost, known as the Russell–McPherron effect, often delivers an uptick in geomagnetic storms, making the sky’s glow-up even more likely. Another peak typically arrives in September during the fall equinox, but this spring’s show was especially vibrant due to the sun’s current phase of heightened activity.
The science behind this spectacle is as fascinating as the display itself. The aurora borealis occurs when charged particles from the sun—hurled toward Earth during solar outbursts like CMEs or solar flares—collide with gases in our planet’s upper atmosphere. These collisions release energy in the form of light, painting the night sky with shifting curtains of green, pink, and sometimes even red or purple. As the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute explains, these polar lights are a direct result of the sun’s magnetic entanglements with Earth’s protective magnetic field.
This week’s auroral activity was supercharged by the sun’s approach to its “solar maximum,” the most explosive phase in its 11-year cycle. According to NOAA and Scientific American, the solar cycle is currently at its highest point in 23 years, leading to more frequent and intense eruptions. Just two months prior, on February 1–2, the sun unleashed four powerful solar flares, all classified as X-class—the highest intensity. The standout was an X8.1-class flare, the strongest since October 2024 and one of the top 20 since 1996, as reported by SpaceWeatherLive.com. The X8.1 flare wasn’t just a pretty light show; it caused radio blackouts across the South Pacific and disrupted communications in eastern Australia and New Zealand, according to Space.com.
With so much solar energy streaming toward Earth, it’s no wonder that the aurora was forecasted to reach farther south than usual. NOAA projections and forecasts from the Space Weather Prediction Center suggested that, in addition to Alaska (which had the highest likelihood), states like Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin were in a prime position to catch the aurora. Other states—including Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine—were given a lower but still real chance, especially if skies stayed clear and city lights were avoided.
For those hoping to catch the aurora, experts offered practical advice. The best viewing times were generally between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time (with some sources suggesting a window from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.), and the key was to seek out the darkest possible location away from urban light pollution. “Find a north-facing view with a clear horizon and exercise patience, as the lights often come in waves,” recommended Space.com. Cloud cover was a major factor, especially in places like Vermont, where rain threatened to obscure the spectacle. NOAA’s aurora forecast dashboard and apps like “My Aurora Forecast & Alerts” became essential tools for enthusiasts tracking the best places and times to look up.
Even those in major cities—Seattle, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Buffalo—had a shot, though their odds were lower due to ambient light. Sometimes, the aurora appears faint to the naked eye but pops vividly in smartphone photos. Photography tips abounded: adjust your phone’s exposure time, enable night mode, and use a tripod for longer exposures (up to 30 seconds if possible) to capture the full effect. As Travelfoss advised, “If there’s too much ambient light, night mode might let in too much and overexpose your photos. To combat that, you might need to modify the exposure adjustment setting.”
Of course, the experience of seeing the northern lights is about more than just snapping the perfect photo. For many, the event was a reminder of the sun’s dynamic relationship with Earth—a cosmic dance that can disrupt radio signals one moment and paint the sky with color the next. As The Post described it, “Think of the northern lights as the sky’s glow-up when the sun tangles with Earth’s magnetic field.”
Looking ahead, NOAA warned that while the northern lights might be visible again on April 1, the storm’s strength would likely drop to minor, reducing the chances of another widespread display. Still, with the solar cycle near its peak, more geomagnetic storms—and more opportunities for aurora sightings—are expected in the months to come.
For one night, at least, the sky truly stole the spotlight, reminding everyone to look up and marvel at the wonders just beyond our atmosphere.