Northern Lights Update: These States Could See The Northern Lights Thursday

ByMary Whitfill Roeloffs,

Forbes Staff.

The northern lights could be visible as far south as southern Iowa and middle Illinois Thursday night as space weather forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predict a strong forecast and significant geomagnetic activity over the next two days.

NOAA predicts ongoing strong geomagnetic storms—caused by solar activity disrupting Earth's upper atmosphere—to continue through the evening and into Friday.

NOAA forecast a Kp index, which measures global geomagnetic activity, of 7 on a scale of 9 for around 9 p.m. Thursday and 7.3 at around 3 a.m. Friday, suggesting the northern lights might be visible quite far from the poles and into the middle United States.