How to see the Northern Lights in the US this week

People in 17 states and some of Canada may be able to spot the aurora borealis

A solar storm forecast for July 13 is expected to give people in more than a dozen American states a chance to glimpse the Northern Lights. AP

Skies over large parts of the northern US may play host later this week to the Northern Lights, a colourful sky show that happens when solar winds hit Earth's atmosphere.

People in at least 17 US states and some of Canada may have a chance to spot the night-time show on Thursday.

The Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are most often seen in Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, but an 11-year solar cycle that is expected to peak in 2024 is making the lights visible in places farther to the south, The Associated Press reported.

Three months ago, the light displays were visible in Arizona, marking the third severe geomagnetic storm since the current solar cycle began in 2019.

The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has forecast auroral activity on Thursday in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, 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.

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, Indiana, the institute said, according to AP.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Centre said people wanting to see the lights should get away from city lights and that the best viewing times are between 10pm and 2am local time.

Northern Lights occur when a magnetic solar wind slams into the Earth’s magnetic field and causes atoms in the upper atmosphere to glow. The lights appear suddenly and the intensity varies.

A geomagnetic index known as Kp ranks auroral activity on a scale from zero to nine, with zero being not very active and nine being bright and active. The Geophysical Institute has forecast Kp 6 for Thursday’s storm.