MICHIGAN — The northern lights could make an appearance across Michigan tonight, and sky conditions look excellent for viewing. Mostly clear skies are expected statewide from Thursday evening into early Friday morning. Nearly all of Michigan falls into the excellent category for stargazing, with only a small portion of the eastern Upper Peninsula rated good. Skywatchers are encouraged to keep their eyes and cameras pointed north.
Excellent Conditions Across Nearly All of Michigan
The stargazing outlook from 9 a.m. Thursday through 3 a.m. Friday shows excellent conditions across the vast majority of the state. Both the Lower Peninsula and most of the Upper Peninsula fall within this top category.
Clear skies and limited cloud cover are expected through the overnight hours. These conditions offer an ideal setup for spotting the aurora if it becomes visible.
Eastern Upper Peninsula Rated Good
A small section of the eastern Upper Peninsula along the Lake Superior shoreline is rated in the good category. There is some uncertainty about a passing shower or two in this area.
Even with that small chance of clouds or showers, viewing conditions should still be favorable for much of the night. Areas near Marquette and De Tour Village remain in excellent or good shape.
Lower Peninsula Looks Clear From Traverse City to Detroit
Across the Lower Peninsula, excellent conditions are expected from Traverse City south through Grand Rapids and Niles. Detroit and southeast Michigan are also included in the excellent category…