Chicagoans Could Have a Chance to see the Northern Lights This Week—What to Know and Where to Watch

If you missed the Northern Lights last month, no you’re in luck— Chicagoans could have another chance to catch the phenomena this week! A powerful geomagnetic storm is set to impact earth this week, bringing the potential for some spellbinding views. Here’s what all that means for Chicago and where you can catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis! Geomagnetic Storm Watch in effect Tuesday ----------------------------------------- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently released a Geomagnetic Storm Watch effective for Tuesday, December 9. “A full-halo coronal mass ejection (CME), associated with an M8.1 flare from Region 4299 at 20:39 UTC on 06 December, is expected to impact Earth early to midday on 09 December, potentially causing periods of G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storming,” wrote NOAA in a post shared to Twitter/X Saturday. If you’re wondering what that means, here’s a breakdown. A coronal mass injection is an eruption on the surface of the sun which releases “solar material and magnetic fields,” according to NOAA. When CMEs occur, the material and magnetic fields released in the eruption eventually make their way to earth, causing what we colloquially know as the Northern Lights or aurora borealis. High geomagnetic activity possible ---------------------------------- The G3 level warning from NOAA indicates an unusually strong geomagnetic storm. Luckily, the phenomena doesn’t cause any disruptions to life on earth, but it does mean the auroras could be stronger and visible at further distances. Typically, the auroras are only visible in the far northern reaches of North America due to the earth’s magnetic field, but higher intensity CMEs can cause the phenomenon to extend further south to Chicago. When and where to watch ----------------------- It’s unclear exactly what time the CMEs will impact earth, but NOAA predicts the phenomenon to arrive between early and midday Tuesday. This in mind, Chicagoans could catch some glimpses of the auroras over the next two nights. The best places to view the Northern Lights in Chicago are areas with low light pollution. We recommend bundling up and heading to lakefront destinations like the Montrose Moonrise Observation Point and Adler Planetarium peninsula. Source: https://secretchicago.com/northern-lights-this-week-chicago-december-2025/