Northern Lights: Viewing Tips and Locations for This Week

A solar storm on Thursday is expected to make the Northern Lights visible in 17 states that typically don't get to see the colorful show. The lights will be visible in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine, and Maryland. To get the best view, viewers should avoid light pollution, stay up late, and check both the weather and solar storm forecasts. The Northern Lights are caused by geomagnetic storms on the sun that affect the Earth's magnetic field, resulting in colorful displays of light.