The northern lights are expected to be visible across most of southern Ontario, including Toronto, on Monday night. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this is due to higher geomagnetic activity (with a Kp index of 5) reaching Earth’s atmosphere. The auroral oval is expected to dip far enough south that there’s a moderate chance that the lights could be visible on the northern horizon under clear, dark skies!
Other than Toronto, other areas with possible visibility include Ottawa, Kingston, and London; certain spots in Southern Quebec (including Montreal and Quebec City); Southern Manitoba (including Winnipeg); and parts of southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan (including Calgary, Regina, and Saskatoon). There’s a higher likelihood of spotting the auroras throughout most of the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut; across northern Alberta, northern Saskatchewan, and northern Manitoba; and throughout most of northern Ontario and northern Quebec.
For Torontonians, Monday night seems to be the best option this week as the NOAA forecast shows reduced aurora activity (with a Kp index of 4) on Tuesday night, meaning aurora visibility throughout southern Ontario is unlikely tomorrow.
You’ll have to stay up for a bit tonight as the best viewing time will be between midnight and 2 a.m. You don’t need any special equipment to see the auroras. Just head to a safe, dark spot away from city lights and look up. As long as no clouds are blocking the gorgeous view, you’ll see a stunning display of green, red, blue, pink, and even purple hues dancing across the sky!
If you miss the northern lights tonight, there are many other stargazing events you could look out for in Toronto this summer, including the Perseids meteor shower (between July 17 and Aug 24, with its peak on the night of Aug 12-13 between 8 pm and 6 am) and the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, which will take place just before sunrise on Aug 12. (from Toronto, the pair will be visible from around 3:14 am to around 5:56 am.)
If you plan to staycation throughout the summer months, click here for the best places to stargaze near Toronto!