A jaw-dropping phenomenon in the form of the aurora borealis took over Canadian skies Thursday night. It left people across major cities like Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and other areas speculating about the next northern lights forecast and if the spectacular view would return, especially for Friday.

Well, there’s good news and there’s better news.

The good news is the geometric storm behind the lights that dazzled the North American night skies Thursday will continue into Friday, but it will be less defined. The better news for Canadians is that if they missed out Thursday night and cannot make the date night with nature’s greatest gift (that is totally worth the hunt) on Friday, there will be “more chances” to make up for missed opportunities.

Weather specialists are crediting the Thursday night spectacle to the sun becoming more active and resulting in a fast-moving solar storm that sparked bright auroras over Canada.

Yahoo News Canada interviewed AccuWeather astronomy expert and meteorologist Brian Lada to break down the science behind the likelihood of the northern lights showing up again soon, even though they are famously known to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

What are the northern lights and how are they formed?

“The northern lights are caused by charged particles from the sun hitting Earth’s atmosphere,” Lada explained. “When the particles hit oxygen molecules, it creates red and green colours in the sky. When the particles hit nitrogen molecules, it results in purple and blue colours. During stronger solar storms, it is common to see multiple colours at the same time.”

The year 2024 has been quite a special one for northern lights enthusiasts. There were some occurrences recorded earlier, and with the solar maximum approaching in July 2025, coupled with the aurora season now officially here, there is hope to catch more glimpses ahead.

The rare solar storm that triggered Thursday’s aurora borealis and the unique sun activity

Solar storms themselves aren’t uncommon, however, the Thursday night show of the bright northern lights over Canada was a rare event because of the storms’ high intensity, according to Lada.

Geomagnetic storms range from G1 (minor) to G5 (severe), and the one on Thursday was of G4 magnitude. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Friday’s forecast is expected to be a G1, and the following night a G0.

Earlier this year in May, onlookers were treated to a G5 geomagnetic storm across Canada and the U.S.

“A solar storm is when charged particles from the sun hit the Earth, which sparks the aurora borealis. These are also called geomagnetic storms, and they happen fairly frequently. However, stronger solar storms, like what happened on Thursday night, are uncommon,” said Lada. “The stronger storms is what leads to widespread views of the northern lights, in some instances as far south as the Bahamas.”

While forecasters are able to predict the likelihood of the event returning, like on Friday, the certainty of it happening at all remains questionable until the last moment.

“Each solar storm is different, so we can have a good idea of what might happen, but we don’t know for sure until it’s underway and the aurora borealis is dancing overhead,” Lada said.

Will Canadians get to see the northern lights again Friday night?

The Friday night occurrence will be comparatively less intense than the night before, says Lada, making it trickier for all Canadians to catch a proper glimpse.

Regardless, the views could be totally worth it for those who are up for the hunt in the dark.

“We’re not expecting a repeat of last night, but people in Canada who are in dark areas have a chance at seeing some aurora tonight,” said Lada. “The bulk of the solar storm is over, but it can have lingering effects given how strong it was.”

To catch the northern lights in Toronto tonight, the best time to view them will be after midnight. Finding a spot away from the city’s light pollution for the clearest view will be essential. Ideal locations around Toronto include parks and areas north of the city, like Milton, or closer to the shores of Lake Ontario. Popular spots for sky-watching include Tommy Thompson Park, Scarborough Bluffs, or even Rouge National Urban Park. These areas provide darker skies, increasing your chances of seeing the auroras.

Those looking to catch the northern lights across the country should follow the same guidance. You can see forecasts here, with stronger likelihoods of seeing the auroras as you go further up north.

When will Canadians get to see the northern lights again?

According to Lada, solar maximum — the period of peak solar activity during the sun’s 11-year solar cycle — will play a critical role in helping Canadians experience more of the northern lights.

“Similar to the seasons here on Earth, the sun goes through cycles. Currently, we are around a time called ‘solar maximum,’ when the sun is frequently erupting and sending clouds of charged particles into space, which can result in more solar storms.

“These clouds of charged particles are called Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs for short). With the solar maximum expected to last for a few more years, there will be plenty more CMEs from the sun, resulting in many more chances for people across Canada to see the northern lights into 2026,” he added.

To keep a track of developments regarding the aurora borealis through the Friday night and into the weekend, The Weather Network is an ideal source with real time updates across their social handles and website.

You can also look to My Aurora Forecast & Alerts to keep up with realtime updates.

Following #northernlights, coupled with location tags including Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and other province names, on social media like X and Instagram, is another advantage you can have to not let another opportunity slip by.

How come the northern lights are visible from major cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal considering the light pollution?

Among the go-to locations for spotting northern lights is the city of Whitehorse in Yukon, which is known to attract tourists from all over Canada just to witness the spectacle with the naked eye.

However, people being able to capture a glimpse of the natural phenomenon from cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary – cities where light pollution is a serious concern – using their cell phones begs the question — how?

Lada told Yahoo News Canada light pollution usually outshines fair aurora and other events such as meteor showers, but during particularly strong solar storms, the aurora can be bright enough to shine through the light pollution.

The meteorologist also explained the northern lights continue to remain a challenge when it comes to spotting them with the naked eye and credits technology for making the phenomenon accessible, even if it’s through the lens of a camera.

“The technology behind cell phone cameras has come a long way since the last solar maximum, which was around 2013-2014. There have been several solar storms over the past year when the northern lights have not been bright enough to see with the human eye, but cell phones using long exposures can capture photos of the aurora. Even a camera that takes a 3-second exposure is enough to snap an image of the red glow of the aurora that is too faint for the human eye to detect.”