Northern lights in Nebraska tonight

The Nebraska Sandhills are one of the darkest large-area regions in the continental USA. The stabilised grass-covered dunes extend for 400 km across north-central Nebraska with virtually no development. Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area near Valentine sits at the heart of the Sandhills and gives Bortle 2 conditions. At 42.8°N geographic latitude, the Sandhills sit in the northern tier of Nebraska. The flat open horizon in all directions and complete absence of light domes make this one of the better aurora-watching positions in the Great Plains during a major storm. At around 50° geomagnetic latitude (the latitude measured from Earth's magnetic poles, which governs where aurora reaches), the Sandhills sit well south of the usual auroral oval, so aurora only comes into play at Kp 6 and above. About 180 miles from Omaha via US-20.

The Oregon Trail landmarks of western Nebraska give dark sky at Bortle 2-3 with the characteristic flat-topped buttes as dramatic foreground. Scotts Bluff National Monument near Gering sits at 43.0°N geographic and gives open plains in all directions. About 415 miles from Omaha. The western Nebraska panhandle is also one of the driest parts of the state, giving higher clear-sky frequency than the wetter eastern regions.

In the far northeast corner of Nebraska near the South Dakota border, Ponca State Park sits on the bluffs above the Missouri River at 42.6°N geographic. The north-facing bluffs give an open northern sky toward South Dakota. Bortle 3-4. About 100 miles from Omaha. The Missouri River corridor in this area is one of the least-developed stretches of the upper Midwest, giving reasonable dark sky without a long drive from the Omaha metro.