The Northern Lights Could Be Visible Over Parts of the U.S. This Week

Residents in the northern U.S. could be treated to a rare meteorological spectacle this week. As USA Today reports, the northern lights will likely be visible over certain states from May 15 to May 17, including Maine, Michigan, and Montana.

An aurora borealis, an event caused by solar particles colliding with atoms in Earth's atmosphere, is normally limited to countries at higher latitudes like Iceland. On rare occasions, increased activity from the Sun results in stronger and more widespread auroras on our planet.

Following a significant release of plasma and magnetic energy from the Sun's corona, the Space Weather Prediction Center announced a geomagnetic storm watch for this week. The Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are expected to reach Earth on Wednesday, May 15, and persist through Friday. During that time, the prediction center says the northern lights may appear over parts of the contiguous United States. Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and most of New England all fall within the projected aurora zone.

The solar storm will peak at a G2 (moderate) level on May 16—which makes Thursday night and Friday morning the best times to catch the light show. As is the case with stars and meteor showers, people in major cities will have trouble seeing the event. Their best bet is to find a high vantage point with little light pollution.