Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
The Associated Press

Northern lights a 'big miss,' U.S. space forecaster says

Color over the city tree tops
The northern lights are visible from a home on Idlewild Street in Duluth's Lakeside neighborhood in June 2015 in Duluth, Minn. Robert Rutledge, of the U.S. government's space weather prediction center said Thursday stargazers in the continental 48 states have very little chance of seeing the northern lights this week despite an initial promising forecast.
Derek Montgomery for MPR News 2015

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

An initially promising U.S. forecast for the northern lights has gone bust.

Stargazers in the continental 48 states have essentially zero chance of seeing the astronomical phenomenon this week, the head of operations at the U.S. government's space weather prediction center said Thursday.

Curtains of color paint the night sky when the northern lights, or aurora borealis, are visible. Some early reports had suggested they would be viewable as far south as Illinois this week.

Robert Rutledge, the lead of operations at the Space Weather Prediction Center, said the agency had high hopes for Thursday and Friday, but it downgraded its forecast because the chances turned out to be a “big miss.”

He called the disappointing news “not incredibly unusual in space weather forecasting."

The silver lining for sky watchers is that conditions in the coming months and years look more favorable, Rutledge said.

New England stargazers had hoped to catch a glimpse of the northern lights, but clouds would have made it difficult, said David Clark, a member of Penobscot Valley Star Gazers in Maine.

“I'm sure people are going to try,” he said. “I don't have high hopes for it.”