Solar Flares May Illuminate Northern US Skies With Auroras Tonight

WHO:

ABC News - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is involved in monitoring solar activity.

WHAT:

ABC News - A coronal mass ejection (CME) associated with a moderate solar flare is headed toward Earth.

ABC News - The SWPC has issued a moderate Geomagnetic Storm Watch beginning Thursday evening into Friday morning.

ABC News - The solar activity could create minor impacts to technological infrastructure, but it is described as "mainly manageable."

ABC News - The aurora borealis may be visible in areas as low as New York, Wisconsin, and Washington state.

WHERE:

ABC News - Auroras could be visible in northern and upper Midwest states, including New York, Wisconsin, and Washington state.

WHEN:

ABC News - The Geomagnetic Storm Watch is set to begin Thursday evening into Friday morning, Oct. 9.

ABC News - Another CME linked to a smaller solar flare is expected to deliver a "glancing blow" over the weekend.

WHY:

ABC News - The geomagnetic storm is caused by a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere due to the efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind.

HOW:

ABC News - The aurora appears when electrically charged particles from the sun hit Earth's atmosphere.

(UPDATED October 9, 2026 02:18 UTC)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center is monitoring a coronal mass ejection associated with a moderate solar flare that is headed toward Earth. They have issued a moderate Geomagnetic Storm Watch set to begin Thursday evening into Friday morning, which may create minor impacts to technological infrastructure but is described as mainly manageable, with the aurora borealis potentially visible in areas as low as New York, Wisconsin, and Washington state. Additionally, another coronal mass ejection linked to a smaller solar flare is expected to deliver a glancing blow over the weekend.