How'd we get these northern lights, and how do we see them next time?

The northern lights have been visible in the Seeley-Swan Valley many times this year, including multiple times this month.

Meteorologist Dave Noble, who works with the National Weather Service in Missoula, explained why the northern lights occur.

"Occasionally we can have these explosions off the sun that are spewing plasma at a million miles an hour towards space, and sometimes they can be directed towards the earth," Noble said. "If it is carrying the right magnetic field with it, or the right direction, it can spark these enormous geomagnetic storms and northern lights on earth."

Whether people in Montana have a view of the northern lights is directly impacted by the sun. The sun experiences cycles known as solar minimum and maximum, and the time between two cycles is about 11 years.

Since 2022, the sun has been in the solar maximum phase. When the sun is experiencing solar maximum, there are more sunspots, which Noble said, "Can (usually) lead to geomagnetic storms, solar storms or northern lights."

This solar maximum started in 2022 and is expected to max out in the spring of 2025. That means there will likely be more opportunities for people to see the northern lights in the near future.

Noble advised people to keep a few things in mind when looking for a good view.

"Get out of the cities, have a good view of the northern horizon and check the weather forecast," Noble said.

If it is cloudy, the northern lights may be less visible. Smoky areas can have the same issue. Weaker northern light events may not be visible if your view is blocked by mountains, although this isn't necessarily true for stronger events that occur overhead.

While it can depend on individual events, the northern lights are generally at peak visibility from midnight until one in the morning.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has an aurora dashboard, which gives people the chance to tell the likelihood of northern lights visibility ahead of time. The dashboard can be found at https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/aurora-dashboard-experimental.

Noble also suggested social media as a resource for people who want more area-specific information.

Groups like the Aurora Borealis Facebook page give people a space to share photos and different photographers may be able to offer tips for capturing the lights. There are space scientists who post more specific information, and social media groups can offer advice on the best places to get a view of the northern lights

The National Weather Service in Missoula posts weather updates on its social media and website that give people an idea of visibility.

Noble noted that phone cameras can do a good job of capturing the lights. However, he suggested people going out of their way to get pictures should use a digital camera and a tripod. He also suggested having the shutter open for a second or two.

Cameras don't have the same limitations that human eyes do. While we're generally limited to seeing shades of white, gray and black at night, cameras are able to capture the full vibrancy of the northern lights.

Eyes have two different components known as cones and rods. Cones are better at viewing bright colors, and they are most active during the day. Rods, which are more active at night, are better at detecting faint lights, but they are limited in the shades they can see.

People interested in learning more about the northern lights can find information from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center at swpc.noaa.gov. Those interested can also reach out to the National Weather Service in Missoula at (406) 329-4840.

This story was updated on Nov. 19 at 11:22 a.m. to clarify the solar minimum and maximum cycles.