(NEXSTAR) – Sky gazers in several U.S. states could get a colorful glimpse of the northern lights as we enter the weekend, thanks to a recent geomagnetic storm.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center predicts the arrival of energy from the storm, which can show up in our skies in brilliant shades of purple, green, blue and pink, may be visible in the northern latitudes of the U.S. and parts of the Midwest.
The states with best chance of seeing the northern lights Friday or Saturday night, when NOAA anticipates them being strongest, include Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota. Although less likely, viewers in South Dakota, Michigan, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine may also see the aurora.
What causes northern lights?
The sun sends more than heat and light to Earth — it sends energy and charged particles known as the solar wind. But sometimes that solar wind becomes a storm. The sun’s outer atmosphere occasionally “burps” out huge bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections. They produce solar storms, also known as geomagnetic storms, according to NOAA.
The Earth’s magnetic field shields us from much of it, but particles can travel down the magnetic field lines along the north and south poles and into Earth’s atmosphere.
When the particles interact with the gases in our atmosphere, they can produce light — blue and purple from nitrogen, green and red from oxygen.
If you’re hoping to get a glimpse of the celestial phenomenon, experts recommend getting far away from any light pollution, NOAA advises.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
