Another stunning aurora display possible as NOAA issues severe geomagnetic storm watch
OHIO — The northern lights made a rare and dazzling appearance across Ohio Tuesday night, Nov. 11 — glowing as far south as Cincinnati — and skywatchers may get a second chance to see them tonight.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), another strong geomagnetic storm is expected tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 12, with conditions possibly even better than last night’s show.
The SWPC has issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch (G4 on a 5-point scale) for Wednesday and a strong geomagnetic storm watch (G3) for Thursday, Nov. 13. These watches follow multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — massive bursts of plasma and magnetic energy — that erupted from the sun on Nov. 9 and 10.
Those solar eruptions hit Earth harder than expected on Tuesday, creating a powerful geomagnetic storm that reached G4 intensity and pushed the aurora borealis deep into the Midwest, allowing Ohioans statewide to catch a rare glimpse of the glowing spectacle.
If tonight’s storm proves as strong or stronger, NOAA predicts the aurora could extend even farther south, possibly visible across much of the continental United States under clear skies.
NOAA’s Ovation Aurora Forecast tool shows real-time predictions for where and when the northern lights will be visible. The model updates continuously, with red and green ovals indicating areas of aurora intensity. The “viewline” marks how far south observers may spot the lights along the northern horizon.
Auroras are best viewed from dark, open areas away from city lights, typically between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., when the geomagnetic activity peaks. The lights may appear as green, pink, or even purple hues rippling across the sky.
For real-time updates and short-term forecasts (about 30 minutes in advance), NOAA recommends checking its Aurora 30-Minute Forecast and the new Aurora Dashboard.
So if you missed Tuesday night’s show — grab your camera, bundle up, and look north tonight. Ohio’s skies might light up once again.
Tricks to capturing the Aurora. To “see” the northern lights with a phone, you need to use a long exposure photo technique because the lights are often too faint to see in real-time and are best captured by a camera. Enable “Night Mode” or “Pro/Manual” mode on your phone, mount it on a tripod or a stable surface, disable the flash, and set a long shutter speed of at least 1-5 seconds. For the best results, adjust the ISO to 1600 or higher and set the focus to manual or infinity, and keep your phone charged.
