Northern Lights might be visible in Michigan this weekend

Marnie Muñoz, The Detroit News on Oct 4, 2024

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DETROIT — Michigan residents looking up could get a good view of the Northern Lights this weekend, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Current forecasts from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center show moderate likelihoods of seeing the aurora in Michigan on Friday and Saturday evening.

The aurora borealis is visible when electrons collide with the upper parts of the Earth's atmosphere, according to the NOAA. The electrons transfer their energy to the atmosphere and excite the atoms and molecules to higher states before releasing energy in the form of light and relaxing back down.

The National Weather Service expects for temperatures in Metro Detroit to keep to the cooler side with weather in the upper 60s to lower 70s on Friday and Saturday, NWS Detroit said on X.

There's just a passing chance of sprinkling rain on Friday and a chance of rain on Saturday night, but otherwise, meteorologists expect prevailing dry conditions.

"Both days will be decent viewing days," said Alex Manion, a meteorologist with the weather service. "In terms of actually viewing the aurora, it's always notoriously hard to see it in the Metro Detroit area due to light pollution. Your chances will be away from Metro Detroit in locations that are generally free of the larger light pollution that we get down in the city area."