Aurora chasers have another reason to be thankful this Thursday, as a solar storm is forecast to reach Earth and produce some colorful northern lights in the northern hemisphere. Whether they can be viewed in Indiana, however, remains to be seen.

Northern states along the U.S.-Canadian border — Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan into New England — appear to be prime viewing spots to witness the northern lights Thursday.

Indiana falls outside the southern extent of where auroras could appear early Thursday evening, according to NOAA, but — weather permitting — Hoosiers might have better luck late Thursday into early Friday morning to witness the northern lights.

That's still a big 'might' however, given how fickle space weather can be. Here's what we know about Indiana's chances of seeing auroras this week.

NOAA issues Thanksgiving week geomagnetic storm watch

The dazzling phenomenon known as the aurora borealis should be visible on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday in parts of the northern United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA has been tracking a coronal mass ejection since Sunday that exploded from the sun and is on a trajectory to reach Earth near the end of the week. On Tuesday, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issued a geomagnetic storm watch for both Thursday and Friday.

What will happen when the solar storm reaches Earth?

Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs explains NASA, are large clouds of solar plasma and magnetic fields. These solar storms can reach our planet in three to four days and travel at hundreds to thousands of miles per second.

Thursday and Friday's solar storm may pose a minimal threat to satellites, GPS signals and power grids, but it may also provide some additional Thanksgiving entertainment when football and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade have long ended.

Because of the way the solar particles interact with Earth's magnetosphere, the powerful eruption should make the vibrant northern lights visible to a wider swath of the northern hemisphere than usual.

Northern lights:Amid solar maximum, northern lights should flourish: How to see auroras across US

Will auroras be visible in Indiana? Possibly

Dr. Aarran Shaw, who serves as director of Holcomb Observatory. and teaches Physics and Astronomy at Butler University, sounded skeptical at Indiana's chances of seeing the northern lights Thursday. The odds Friday, he said, show more promise.

Forecasters use a five-level scale to measure geometric storms, which are caused when coronal mass ejections release solar particles and electromagnetic radiation toward our planet. The incoming solar storm is relatively small, with NOAA measuring it at a minor G1 intensity Thursday and a moderate G2 intensity on Friday.

"I’m willing to bet that we won’t get anything in Indiana on Thanksgiving night," Shaw told IndyStar. "On Friday, it will supposedly reach a G2 so perhaps it will reach across the Michigan-Indiana border but it’s tough to say right now.

To glimpse the auroras in Indiana, experts say Hoosiers might have to stay up very late after Thanksgiving and hope the weather cooperates.

Where will auroras be visible Thanksgiving week?

In the U.S., the auroras may become visible in some northern and upper Midwest states from New York to Idaho, according to SWPC's experimental Aurora viewline. The visibility for viewing will also depend on local weather conditions and city lights.

"If you are in the right place, these aurora can be quite pleasing to look at," the agency says.

Indianapolis listed as possible place to see auroras

The northern lights could become visible low on the horizon as far south as Indianapolis and in several other U.S. cities, according to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute website, which tracks the phenomenon.

From 10 p.m. Thursday until 1 a.m. Friday, cities that have a chance at seeing the auroras include:

Central Indiana weather forecast might impede seeing auroras

Seeing the auroras as far south of Indianapolis, of course, depends on if Central Indiana's weather cooperates, and a cross-country storm system bringing bitter winds and freezing temperatures might complicate that.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis say Central Indiana is expected to have partly cloudy skies Thursday night with a low around 25. West northwest winds will be around 7 mph.

Story continues after photo gallery, published on Oct. 11, 2024.

When is the best time to see the northern lights? Why are they hard to predict?

Solar storms send particles flowing from the sun that get caught up in Earth's magnetic field, causing colorful auroras to form as they interact with molecules of atmospheric gases. In the months ahead, the resulting glowing auroras may be quite a sight to see – if you look up at the right time.

Even though conditions are prime for more impending aurora shows, experts have long struggled to accurately forecast exactly when and where the phenomenon will ever occur. Even the best predictions can only accurately be made a few days or even hours in advance.

But as a rule of thumb, if the weather is clear, the best aurora is usually visible within an hour or two of midnight, according to NOAA. And if it looks like the northern lights will flare up near you, it's advised to get away from cities and travel to dark locations free from light pollution.

The agency also maintains an aurora dashboard that should help skywatchers track the phenomenon.

Where to see auroras in Indiana

Shaw, in an earlier interview with IndyStar, said the further north in Indiana you travel, the better the odds you have of spotting auroras, and near Gary, close to Indiana Dunes State Park, is usually ideal for stargazing.

"I believe Beverly Shores, close to Gary, is an International Dark Sky location which would be a prime spot for viewing the Aurora," Shaw said. "Similarly, I believe there is another dark sky location just northeast of South Bend, just across the Michigan border.

Aurora chasers might want to take note of Thursday's weather, however. Meteorologists with NWS say Thursday's forecast for Beverly Shores calls for cloudy skies with a 40% chance of snow showers mainly before 3 a.m.

Why northern lights activity is increasing

Now that the sun is at the height of its 11-year cycle, the increase in solar activity has more frequently fueled space weather that produces the right conditions for northern lights to flourish.

Regions of intense magnetic activity known as sunspots are proliferating on the solar surface and are capable of releasing intense bursts of radiation resulting in solar flares that can hurtle toward Earth at the speed of light, according to NOAA. Some of these flares can be accompanied by coronal mass ejections, or clouds of plasma and charged particles, that emerge from the sun's outermost atmosphere, the corona.

These ejections can collide with Earth’s magnetosphere, the barrier protecting humanity from the harshest impacts of space weather, to produce geomagnetic storms that unleash spectacular views of the northern lights in parts of the country where auroras are not often visible.

What's more, because NASA anticipates the solar maximum to continue into 2025, aurora chasers should have plenty more opportunities to catch the northern lights.

Thanksgiving travel weather:Indiana's Thanksgiving weather forecast is looking cold, wet and snowy

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected].

John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at [email protected]. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.