Colorado could get another glimpse of the Northern Lights tonight, but it’s likely to be early in the evening.
The aurora could be visible across Canada and much of the northern tier of U.S. states — and possibly further south — Monday night following a major disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field, a forecast shows.
In Colorado, weather experts predict the time to see the aurora borealis will be just after sunset, 5:30, and look to the north.
The forecast, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center, comes amid intense geomagnetic and solar radiation storms, said Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at the center.
Geomagnetic storms that can lead to vivid northern lights also can interfere with satellite operations, GPS communications and other infrastructure, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Dahl said the current storm isn’t expected to become much weaker until sometime Tuesday.
In November, solar storms brought vibrant auroras to parts of Europe including Hungary and the United Kingdom, and as far south in the United States as Kansas, Colorado and Texas. Parts of Colorado also saw the auroras in October 2024.
Solar radiation storms can affect objects in space and certain types of communications systems, but Dahl said astronauts at the international space station currently are not at risk. The intensity of this storm has not been seen in more than two decades, he said.