Tonight's Sky Will Be Magical: Northern Lights and a Full Sturgeon Moon

Skywatchers in the northernmost parts of the country might have the chance to catch a special double feature in the sky tonight—the northern lights, plus the full Sturgeon Moon.

According to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), some areas across 15 states could catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis tonight—if the right geomagnetic storm conditions occur.

Compared to earlier forecasts by the SWPC, the aurora oval has shifted slightly north, minimizing the number of states within the viewing zone. The area now includes Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The impact from the incoming coronal mass ejection (an ejection of plasma mass from the sun's corona) that scientists initially predicted would reach Earth earlier this week has yet to arrive. Because of this, it's uncertain whether storm conditions that spark the northern lights in lower latitudes will actually occur.

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The SWPC currently predicts the Kp index to reach 5, with G1 conditions, between 8 and 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time tonight. Geomagnetic storms are ranked from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme), while the Kp index is a scale from 0 to 9 used to measure geomagnetic activity. The higher the number, the further from the poles the northern lights could appear.

If you're in an area with the potential to experience auroras, head out and find a north-facing location with a clear view of the horizon that's as far away from light pollution as possible. According to NOAA, the best time to spot auroras is usually between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.

Luckily, that is around the same time The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting this month's full Sturgeon Moon will reach peak illumination. It's expected to happen at exactly 3:55 a.m. Eastern Time on August 9, but will appear full leading up to and following its predicted peak. The moon will be hard to miss as it will appear a little bigger and brighter than usual since it's slightly closer to Earth than an average moon.