Northern lights could dance across the sky over Greater Akron on Sunday and Monday nights

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6 days ago

There's a Geomagnetic Storm Watch in effect for Sunday and Monday.
So what does that mean for Greater Akron?
Something pretty darn cool.
The Space Weather Prediction Center says there's a pretty good likelihood that a severe geomagnetic storm caused by plasma and magnetic fields erupting from the sun will hit the Earth this weekend.
As of late Saturday afternoon, May 31, the agency says the storm has reached an intensity of G4 on a scale of 5.
This means there's a chance that Greater Akron might be able to see a rare sight in the sky.
Past storms of this magnitude have resulted in the northern lights − also called aurora borealis − being visible to the naked eye farther south like Greater Akron.
"The aurora may become visible over much of the northern half of the country, and maybe as far south as Alabama to Northern California," NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said.
The best chance to view the celestial sight, forecasters say, in Greater Akron will be within an hour or two of midnight on Sunday night, June 1.
There is a chance for a second appearance in the skies over Greater Akron on Monday night, June 2, too.
To catch a glimpse of the northern lights, the center recommends that you find a spot that is very dark and away from streetlights.
Look north for what appears to be waves of greenish and red colorful streaks of light in the northern sky.
You can also point your cell phone − flashlight off − toward the northern sky to catch the phenomenon.
And the biggest obstacle − clouds − should not be a hindrance.
The National Weather Service says the skies should be clear over Greater Akron on Sunday and Monday nights.
The ingredients for the northern lights are powerful solar storms that send particles from the sun toward Earth.
These particles interact with the Earth's magnetosphere to trigger the colorful streaks.
In general, these storms are not harmful but could pose a potential threat to things like satellites, GPS signals and power grids.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: There's a good chance the northern lights will be visible in Akron