(NewsNation) — People as far south as New York and Idaho could get a chance to see the aurora borealis this weekend as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts a geomagnetic storm.
The predicted storm follows a coronal mass ejection on Aug. 1, which happens when plasma and magnetic fields from the sun are projected toward Earth. The electrically charged ions collide with Earth’s atmosphere, causing geomagnetic storms and creating the multicolored, dancing lights that are usually only seen farther north.
While the storm isn’t predicted to be as strong as the one that hit in early May, giving people as far south as North Carolina a rare glimpse of the northern lights, it could still send the aurora further south than usual.
In addition to the lights, geomagnetic storms can also cause disturbances with power grids and GPS, as they interfere with satellites.
This year’s aurora borealis have been active as the sun approaches the peak of an 11-year cycle, resulting in more CMEs. While the sun typically shows more activity during this point of the cycle, it’s still been an exceptionally active year, with May’s geomagnetic storm the most significant in two decades.
Much like Earth weather, space weather is tricky to predict, so stargazers should check NOAA’s aurora forecast for more details on where the lights are expected to be visible.
For the best chance at spotting the dancing colors, head outside close to midnight and as far away from light pollution as possible. If you’re struggling, your cell phone camera can help; it may capture more colors and light than you would be able to see with your naked eye.