A minor geomagnetic storm is underway over the Keweenaw Peninsula tonight through the weekend of November 6–8, driven by a fast solar wind stream from a large coronal hole on the sun. NOAA has issued a G1 storm watch, with the planetary Kp index expected to reach 5 Friday evening before easing back toward 4 on Saturday night. Skies are moonless enough this week to make the most of it: the moon does not reach its new phase until November 9, and the darkest, clearest stretch of the month is expected to run roughly through November 13, the last extended dark window of the season before the park closes for its seasonal break.
Three programs line up with the storm and the dark window. A Northern Lights Photography Workshop, taught by photographer Nate Bett, is scheduled for November 7; reservations are required and may be made through the front desk at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. A Lights Out! observance runs November 6 through 12, during which outdoor lighting across the property is reduced to support darker skies for viewing. The same weekend, Houghton hosts Aurora Summit 2026, November 6 through 8, an independent gathering of aurora photographers and enthusiasts with sessions on photography, solar activity, and space weather; visitors already in the area may want to confirm registration status directly, as capacity may be limited.
Looking further ahead, the Leonid meteor shower peaks overnight on November 17, with roughly ten to fifteen meteors per hour expected under dark skies and a thin waxing crescent moon that sets early enough to leave most of the night dark. That peak falls the night after the park closes for the season on November 16, so viewing from the golf course grounds will not be possible; stargazers are welcome to watch instead from Brockway Mountain Drive or a nearby county or state park along Lake Superior. Mark the calendar, too, for the Geminid meteor shower on the night of December 13 into December 14 — one of the most reliable showers of the year — with a thin waxing crescent moon setting by around 9 p.m. and the peak falling just before the park reopens for the season on December 14.
The sun remains active this autumn, and additional storms remain possible in the weeks ahead. Check NOAA’s real-time aurora forecast at spaceweather.gov each evening, and watch the northern horizon from a dark, open vantage point. Cabin guests of the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge may borrow a telescope to make the most of the nights remaining before the seasonal closure.