It's good news for aurora chasers as peak auroral activity occurs a few years after solar maximum, according to Brekke. This means the best time to see the northern lights and the southern lights will be during the 2026-2027 aurora season.

A patch of the northern U.S. could have a chance to see aurora borealis on Friday night, with quieter geomagnetic activity expected through the weekend, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast.

A value called Bz indicates how far south the solar wind's magnetic field is pointing, which can predict how likely the northern lights are to occur.