These US states may be able to see the northern lights tonight

(NEW YORK) — Some U.S. states could be treated to a northern lights display thanks to a minor geomagnetic storm on the sun, according to space forecasts.

Another round of aurora borealis is expected on Thursday night, with a predicted Kp index of magnitude four out of nine, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.

The northernmost states in the U.S. have the highest chances of seeing the northern lights, including Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, NOAA’s aurora viewline map shows.

In October, the sun’s magnetic field reached its solar maximum in its 11-year cycle, according to NASA. When sunspots produce a solar flare, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are bursts of magnetized plasma emitted from the sun’s corona, travel toward Earth as part of the solar wind, manifesting in a dazzling light show of luminous greens and pinks as the material interacts with Earth’s magnetic field.

The lead-up to the solar maximum resulted in the best northern lights display in 500 years in May, when a series of powerful solar storms made the lights visible as far south as Alabama.

Another strong geomagnetic storm in November made the auroras visible even in light-polluted cities like New York City.

Sunspots with intense magnetic activity are predicted to occur through the end of the solar maximum, which is expected to last until March 2026, according to NOAA.

The best times to view the northern lights are in the hours just before and after midnight, between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to NOAA.

Smartphones and digital cameras are more sensitive to the array of colors and can capture the light shows even if they’re not visible to the naked eye, NASA says.

If you’re curious whether the northern lights will be visible where you live, the citizen science platform Aurorasaurus allows users to sign up for alerts. The app also sends alerts that northern lights are being seen in real time, based on user reports.