The DC area felt a whole lot like the Westfjords on Thursday night, as the vibrant colors of aurora borealis streaked across skies in the District, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Perhaps you missed last night’s space weather spectacular, or maybe the display was so awe-inspiring that you just have to see it again. Will tonight bring the possibility of another glimpse at the Northern Lights? Elizabeth MacDonald, a space physicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center who specializes in studying auroras, doesn’t want to get your hopes up. “I really do think it’s best to temper expectations, even though I hate to be the bearer of that news,” she tells Washingtonian, who called her, dazzled by last night’s spectacle, in the hopes that she would tell us the Northern Lights will be visible from the DMV again, tonight and every night forever. A few of my favorite Northern Lights photos from Washington DC tonight. They are still active but have dimmed a little.#northernlights #AuroraBorealis #Aurora pic.twitter.com/RtobPZ44MW — Jonah Bryson (@JonahLBryson) October 11, 2024 But while the chances for a showing like yesterday’s are slim, MacDonald says there is some possibility for some auroral action on a smaller scale. “The chance is higher than usual because it was seen last night and because we’re in the recovery of this large storm,” she says. “But the chance is nowhere near as likely as it would be” on a night like Thursday. But if those relatively elevated odds are enough for you—and you’re willing to dedicate your Friday night to the galaxy—here’s what you should do: Get out of the city Light pollution in DC and its immediate suburbs will likely make it difficult to see any Northern Lights activity from your apartment’s balcony. Last night was the “main event” of the geomagnetic storm that sparked what we saw yesterday, according to MacDonald—that’s because the storm was just beginning, and she says that’s “where you see the aurora down as far south as we saw it last night.” Northern lights over Maryland tonight no filter. pic.twitter.com/c5nbJem7zy — Dara T. Mathis (@TrulyTafakari) October 10, 2024 That storm is now starting to subside, which means so is the probability that we’ll see the lights tonight as vividly as we did Thursday. Still, MacDonald says, “There could still be some aurora seen maybe outside of DC or maybe in the darker areas.” There’s no way to predict exactly where the best local viewing spot is, but MacDonald recommends the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Aurora 30 Minute Forecast as a tool to help identify the likelihood of visibility in a given area. Light pollution maps are another resource to consult. Clear your schedule Last night, the Northern Lights were visible to the naked eye just about as soon as the sun went down. Since the solar storm is dying down, such an early appearance is not as likely. “Most of the time, when you’re going to be able to see aurora is mostly around midnight, because around midnight is when your location on Earth is going to rotate kind of closest to where the aurora is—which is generally an oval shape, a ring shape, around the Pole,” MacDonald says. Northern lights in Northern Virginia! Incredible sight#ShotOniPhone pic.twitter.com/HtAXR4XUqI — Rohan Tandon (@lucidstarfield) October 11, 2024 So your odds of seeing aurora “would probably maximize around midnight.” But, according to MacDonald, space weather experts did notice some red lights last night, which could be a promising sign. “That can be an unusual kind of ring called the SAR arc that is seen further south than the usual aurora,” she says. “There is some chance that that continues, and so there’s some chance that there’s a weak red visible, and that could be visible earlier in the night potentially.” Pack a camera If you do decide to gamble on chasing the Northern Lights tonight, MacDonald advises that you bring some sort of camera along—and a smartphone will work just fine.  “Cameras are better sensors than our eyes to color at night, so there is some chance that it could be visible just on the camera,” she says. Northern lights putting on a show tonight! I can even see them flying over DC pic.twitter.com/s820ybKeCg — Meteorologist Grant Coleman (@whsvcolefront) October 11, 2024 The post Washingtonians Could Maybe Kind Of See the Northern Lights Again Tonight first appeared on Washingtonian.