Northern Lights have been dancing in Michigan. Will the show continue?

The northern lights have been visible in Michigan since Sunday and may appear again tonight
The aurora is caused by geomagnetic storms from solar flares
Best viewing is after 10 p.m., with NOAA and apps offering short-term forecasts to help track aurora activity

The northern lights have been visible in parts of Michigan since Sunday and are expected to return to the northern Lower Peninsula tonight and Upper Peninsula through Wednesday night, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Forecasters say conditions remain favorable, especially in areas with clear, dark skies.

That could be the case in much of northern Michigan, where National Weather Service posts from Marquette to Gaylord are predicting “mostly clear” skies overnight.

It’s not yet clear if there will again be the kind of dazzling lights that danced over Mackinac Island on Sunday:

What are the northern lights

The aurora borealis occurs when geomagnetic storms send charged particles from the sun into Earth’s atmosphere. The storms are triggered by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and can cause the colorful displays to appear much farther south than usual.

Earth’s magnetic field is currently forecast to reach a Kp index of 4, a scale used to measure the strength of geomagnetic disturbances. The index ranges from 0 to 9, and readings of 5 or higher generally mean the northern lights are visible across Michigan and other parts of the northern United States.

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Any reading between 3 and 5 means the aurora is moving further from the earth’s poles, meaning it “will become brighter and there will be more auroral activity,” according to the NOAA. And if “you are in the right place, these aurora can be quite pleasing to look at.”

Forecasts suggest the aurora could again be seen across the Great Lakes region and parts of the upper Midwest on Tuesday night. The Upper Peninsula could also see some activity Wednesday night.

When to see them

Prime viewing seasons for the northern lights are typically April, October and November, near the spring and fall equinox. That’s when solar particles are most likely to interact with Earth’s magnetic field, producing ribbons of blue, green, pink and violet light.

The northern lights are best viewed late at night, typically after 10 p.m., according to Michigan Technological University. Many experts recommend waiting until after midnight for the clearest chance.

How to track them

Auroras occur year-round but can be difficult to predict, even for scientists. NOAA offers a 30-minute forecast to help identify the best viewing windows, and several apps can also provide real-time aurora predictions.