Jerry Zhu, Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison
Backyard in Madison Wisconsin
If you live in a "northern" US state such as Wisconsin, you can expect to see a few aurora borealis displays each year.
You can see it without a telescope, and you can take a photo with your phone.
Anywhere with a good northern horizon (no tall trees, buildings, bright lights) is good. You don't need to travel far -- a local green space is fine.
The most important thing is WHEN to look:
Do not rely on news reports. Aurora forecast is far less accurate than weather forecast.
Instead follow social media, such as hobby groups or posts of actual sightings near you.
For the determined, check the real time Planetary K-index (Kp) value. This is the actual geomagnetic disturbance, and is strongly correlated with the presence of auroras. You can find the current Kp value at many websites, for example http://spaceweather.com
or
NASA.
When Kp>=6 it is likely that auroras are visible from northern US states (e.g. WI, MI, PA, ME).
For the highly determined, DSCOVR is a NASA satellite that provides real time solar wind data. Monitor the first figure: conditions are good when you see purple color on the right. The figures shows the last 24 hours Bz, and purple is for negative Bz which favors aurora generation.
Auroras may last for 15 minutes to several hours at a time. They may look like grayish clouds to the naked eye, but show vivid colors in photos. This is because human eyes are insensitive to colors in low light. A photo can also show diffusive auroras invisible to the naked eye (e.g. when Kp=5 in our areas). When both auroras and clouds are present, auroras backlit clouds.
Good luck!
The magical nights I was fortunate to capture
Weak display but the first in 2025. Kp=4.5. Madison WI, January 4, 2025.
Lake Superior and Keweenaw Waterway Light Beacon. Houghton MI, Nov 8, 2024
The beginning of a great storm. Madison WI, Oct 10, 2024
Three nights in a row with auroras. Madison WI, Oct 8, 2024
SAR and Auroras two nights in a row! The red arc on the left is Stable Auroral Red (SAR); on the right is aurora. Blue Mounds, WI, Oct 7, 2024.
The red 'flame' was easily visible to the naked eye as deep red. Earlier in the night SAR was present in photos. Madison WI, Oct 6, 2024.
Auroras over Wisconsin River. Arena WI, September 16, 2024.
Faint green arc very low disappeared soon. Madison WI, August 30, 2024.
Subsiding red glow with minor rays. Rockingham Vermont, August 12, 2024.
Brief red rays through haze, soon faded. Madison Wisconsin, July 29, 2024.
Three nights in a roll! I'm spoiled. Madison, Wisconsin. May 12, 2024.
Two nights in a roll! A brief 15 minutes display from Madison, Wisconsin. May 11, 2024.
The great event of May 10, 2024. Strong aurora from Wisconsin Dells, WI. Aurora overhead and even in the southern sky.
Very weak aurora (faint pink rays at center right) from Madison, WI. The significance is that Kp=4.33, which is the lowest Kp index that still produced activity visible from southern Wisconsin. October 4, 2023.
First time seeing overhead auroras from Madison, WI. Rapidly pulsating. Rays were not well developed, overall diffusive. Middleton Wisconsin on April 14, 2023.
Green diffusive glow evolved into fast moving strong red rays. At one point the aurora pulsated: bright horizontal bands rose toward the sky rapidly at a frequency around 1 hertz. Middleton Wisconsin on March 23, 2023.
While photographing the Milky Way at Hadley's Point, I was surprised to see red auroras in the photos. They were invisible to the naked eye. Bar Harbor, Maine on July 3, 2022.
After a four year hiatus, even a weak aurora display is welcome! The aurora was in fact invisible to the naked eye. Middleton Wisconsin on Nov. 3, 2021.
Auroras seen from Madison Wisconsin on Sept. 27, 2017
Auroras seen from Madison Wisconsin on Sept. 1, 2016
Auroras seen on NYC SEA flight on June 24, 2016.
Auroras seen from Madison Wisconsin on June 22, 2015
Auroras seen from Madison Wisconsin on May 13, 2015
Northern lights from Madison, Wisconsin on Oct. 2, 2013
Auroras seen from Calgary, Canada on July 11, 2013
Auroras seen from Madison, Wisconsin on Nov. 13, 2012
Having an aurora display before ICML deadline is indeed distracting... Auroras seen from Madison, Wisconsin on Sept. 30, 2012
Auroras seen from Madison, Wisconsin on July. 15, 2012
Auroras seen from Madison, Wisconsin on April 23, 2012
Auroras seen from Madison, Wisconsin on March 9, 2012
Auroras seen from Madison, Wisconsin on Oct. 24, 2011
Auroras seen from Madison, Wisconsin on March 10, 2011
Nice green aurora over lake Mendota in Madison, WI on April 9, 2006. Canon 300D, 10 seconds, ISO 1600, 18mm lens, F3.5.
Aurora during Perseids meteor shower from Wagman Observatory, Pittsburgh PA on August 12, 2000. Olympus OM-1 camera, 35mm or 50mm lens, f/2.8, Fuji 800 negative film, about 30 second exposure.
Other aurora photos from Pittsburgh etc.
