Skygazers in 17 U.S. states will get a chance to glimpse the aurora borealis, otherwise known as northern lights, this week.
The colorful sky show occurs when solar wind hits the atmosphere. The aurora borealis is most often seen in Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, but an 11-year solar cycle that’s expected to peak in 2024 is making the lights visible in places farther to the south.
Arcs and spirals of glowing lights will be visible between 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, and 2 a.m. Thursday, July 13, local time in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, according to a forecast from the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.
Other sites include Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine and Maryland. Auroral activity also has been forecast for Canada, including Vancouver., British Columbia.
Light displays are expected to be visible overhead in Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Helena, Montana, and low on the horizon in Salem, Oregon.; Boise, Idaho; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Annapolis, Maryland; and Indianapolis, according to the institute.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center said people wanting to experience an aurora should get away from city lights and that the best viewing times are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.