The northern lights are plunging across Canada and could even be seen in southern Ontario

Look to the sky on Thursday and Friday night!

northern lights in the sky over canada

Northern lights in the night sky over Canada.

Senior Writer

The northern lights are dipping down across Canada and into the U.S. over the next few nights.

So, the aurora borealis could even be seen in southern Ontario!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's northern lights forecast for Thursday, January 23 and Friday, January 24 reveals where the aurora will most likely be seen.

It also includes a view line which shows how far south the aurora might be seen on the northern horizon.

The aurora is likely to be seen on Thursday night in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, northern Ontario and northern Quebec.

Thursday's view line is south of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It's just north of Toronto but includes places in southern Quebec, parts of New Brunswick and parts of Newfoundland.

The northern lights are forecast to be even stronger on Friday night across B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.

Friday's view line includes parts of southern Ontario, including Toronto and the GTA!

There's a geomagnetic storm expected on Saturday, January 25 so you could see the northern lights this weekend too.

If you want the best chance at spotting the aurora, the Canadian Space Agency has northern lights viewing tips.

Typically, the northern lights appear a few hours after sunset and become more intense around midnight.

You should check the local weather forecast before looking for the northern lights because clouds, precipitation and a full moon can obstruct your view.

Once the sky is dark and clear, find somewhere with little to no light pollution. City lights can make low-intensity auroras invisible to your eyes.

Then, look all around you and not just to the north because auroras can appear anywhere in the sky.

However, if you're somewhere along the NOAA view line, the northern lights will be toward the northern horizon.

You should also check the position of the northern lights in real-time with NOAA's 30-minute aurora forecast.

  • Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

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