Cold, clear nights in our northernmost climes have always provided optimal opportunities for spotting the shimmering, kaleidoscopic show known as the northern lights. Curling and flickering, pulsing and waving, the aurora borealis paints the night sky in broad strokes of chartreuse, magenta, and violet.
But right now, the odds of seeing them are unusually stacked in your favor. We’re in the middle of solar maximum—the most active phase of the sun’s 11-year cycle—which means more frequent, brighter, and farther-reaching northern lights displays through at least 2026. Over the past year alone, geomagnetic storms have pushed the aurora as far south as Colorado, Texas, and even parts of the Southeast—places that rarely see so much as a faint glow.
Here’s what you need to know about how solar maximum affects the northern lights and how to see them when they’re at their most riotous.
Why northern lights viewing is more common right now
While the aurora is happening somewhere almost all the time, its intensity varies. However, during solar maximum, the strength of the celestial show increases.
Every 11 years (give or take), the sun’s poles flip—its North Pole becomes its South Pole and vice versa. That rotation causes sunspots (that look like dark bruises on the sun’s surface), which lead to solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), a large expulsion of electromagnetism that, when directed toward Earth, causes the northern lights.
Several years ago, scientists projected that the solar maximum (which is measured by the month that sees the most sunspots) would occur in 2025. Before and after then, they said, flares and CMEs would ramp up in number and intensity compared to previous and following years.
Indeed, scientists have since said this cycle may be stronger than initially forecast. Based on the most recent scientific tracking, the peak month of this solar cycle might have already happened or will happen soon; scientists can confirm the official peak only in hindsight, as the maximum isn’t one explosive day, but a months-long leveling off of activity.
If it’s already happened, it means activity is now in what’s called the declining phase of the cycle. Still, even though the official “peak month” may now be behind us, solar maximum isn’t a single instant—it’s a period of heightened activity. That means there’s often a plateau of strong sunspot counts, flares, and CMEs that extends for many months before and after the formal peak, giving aurora chasers another year or so to catch the sky at its most electric.
Where you can see the northern lights
If you want to plan an aurora borealis trip, see our in-depth guide to the best places to see the northern lights.
To determine the likelihood of seeing the lights in any given location, scientists use a measurement system called the Kp-index, which operates on a scale of zero to nine. The more solar activity, the higher the number.
Lower Kp-index numbers, such as one and two, typically mean that if the lights come out, they’ll be concentrated in the Arctic and will likely be in more subdued shades of white or green.
If the Kp-index reaches five or six, the swath of the earth they could appear over widens, meaning they could be seen as far south as Oregon, Montana, the upper Midwest, and New England. There’s also a larger possibility of seeing red or violet bands.
When should I plan a northern lights trip?
Scientists say that near the spring and fall equinoxes is typically better for northern lights viewing. This largely has to do with the position of the Earth at those times. Near the summer and winter solstice, the Earth’s tilt toward or away from the sun is at a maximum; during the fall and spring equinoxes, the Earth’s axis is neither tilted toward the sun nor away from it (it’s why there’s a nearly equal amount of daylight and darkness then). Because the Earth is positioned straight up and the solar wind is directly hitting the side of the magnetic field, there’s a better transfer of power, which creates more vibrant auroras.
For those who really want to stack the deck and have flexibility around when they can travel, another point to consider is the sun’s rotation every 27 days. If there was a good display 27 days ago, then there’s a better probability that there will be a good display approximately 27 days later compared to other days of the cycle.
It’s worth mentioning that while the lights are technically happening all year, you won’t see them during the summer—it’s just too bright in the Arctic.
You can also get an idea of how active the aurora is in your area by looking at short-term aurora forecasts. Rick Tresch Fienberg, senior contributing editor at Sky & Telescope magazine and a senior advisor at the American Astronomical Society, recommends:
- Space Weather for tracking what’s currently happening on the sun (fair warning, it’s super nerdy).
- The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’s aurora monitor for 27-day forecasts.
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction for 30-minute forecasts for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
- Mobile apps My Aurora Forecast and Auroral Borealis Forecast & Alerts for push notifications when there is auroral activity in your area.
Tips for seeing the northern lights during solar maximum
Go as far north as possible
Auroral activity is largely concentrated in what’s known as the auroral oval—think of it like a band that hugs the northernmost latitudes. The dancing illuminations most commonly happen between latitudes 65º and 70º North: Cities like Fairbanks and Coldfoot in Alaska, Jukkasjärvi and Kiruna in Sweden, Rovaniemi and Utsjoki in Finland, Tromsø and Alta in Norway, and most of Iceland.
“You usually want to look to the north, but if you go up into northern Canada or Alaska, you can often get to where the aurora is straight overhead, which is a really nice way to look at it,” says Rodney Viereck, a research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
If you want to tilt the odds even further, Northern Lights cruises (including one cruise line that offers a Northern Lights guarantee) can help: ships sailing high-latitude routes along Norway or Iceland trade light pollution for inky-dark seas and can reposition overnight in search of clearer skies.
Seek dark skies
The farther away from cities and their light pollution, the brighter the aurora appears. Websites like darkskymap.com and darksky.org can help you zero in on suitable skywatching spots. Find a place with clear, sweeping views of the horizon, like the top of a hill.
“One thing that helps create a more dramatic display is to go not at full moon, which can dampen the effect because it brightens the sky and can decrease the contrast that your eye can see,” Viereck says.
Add a few buffer days in case of inclement weather
Even if the Kp Index is at a nine, you won’t see the northern lights if the sky is cloudy. Factoring in a handful of extra days in your destination could help prevent disappointment.
Be patient
Just as you can’t predict the moment rain will start, you can’t know when Mother Nature will turn the lights on. Similarly, the skyward spectacle could last minutes (and perhaps come back later) or go on for hours, so it’s a good idea to dress warmly, pack snacks, and be ready to settle in when aurora hunting.
This story was originally published in January 2023 and was updated on February 4, 2026, to include current information.
