The northern lights are forecast across Canada tonight because of geomagnetic storms.
You could see the aurora in most of the country, including parts of B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.
According to the NOAA forecast, geomagnetic storms are expected due to the arrival of a coronal mass ejection from the Sun.
So, the northern lights could surge across Canada at night on Thursday, October 8 through the early hours on Friday, October 9, 2026.
A "more intense" aurora is forecast in parts of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
That includes places like Prince Rupert, Smithers, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Grande Prairie, Jasper, Edmonton, Red Deer, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Churchill, Fort Severn, Peawanuck, and surrounding areas.
The northern lights are forecast to be less intense in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Kelowna, Cranbrook, Lethbridge, Maple Creek, Kenora, Dryden, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins, Moosonee, Saguenay, Sept-Îles, Rimouski, Labrador City, and nearby places.
According to NOAA, you can see the aurora even when it's not directly overhead. The northern lights can be visible from as far as 1,000 kilometres away when the aurora is intense enough.
That means you could be able to see the northern lights near the northern horizon in places farther from the aurora oval, like southern Ontario and Quebec.
Northern lights forecast map for October 8, 2026.NOAA
If you want to see the northern lights tonight, the Canadian Space Agency has aurora viewing tips.
Typically, the northern lights in Canada appear a few hours after sunset and get more intense around midnight.
You should find a place with little or no light pollution, especially if a less intense aurora is forecast in your area, because city lights can make it harder to see the faint aurora.
Once you're in a dark location, you should look all around, according to the Canadian Space Agency. The northern lights can appear anywhere in the sky, not just directly above you.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.