Catch the Northern Lights in New Jersey: A Solar Storm Event

The northern lights may reappear throughout half of the nation on Wednesday, including New Jersey, following Tuesday's spectacular display that was visible as far south as the US Gulf Coast.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Tuesday night's broad aurora displays were the strongest since October 10, 2024, and were brought on by one of the biggest G4-rated geomagnetic storms of the current solar cycle. According to NOAA's most recent forecast, if the solar storm continues to be severe, the aurora borealis may dance in 24 states and possibly again in states like Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

Residents in New Jersey will have a greater chance of seeing them than on Tuesday because the nighttime forecast is mostly cloudy and turning clear.

Tuesday night, images captured by mobile cameras from locations where people wouldn't typically see the ethereal curtains of green, red, pink, purple, and yellow lights were all over social media feeds. The cameras may capture sights that are invisible to the human eye.

Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are among the states that could see the lights, according to NOAA's most recent map. The lights might only be visible with a camera in the central and southern states.

Wednesday after sunset is the ideal time to view the northern horizon. Even though many social media posts included pictures taken under city lights, it's best to stay as far away from them as you can.