Map shows where northern lights will be visible tonight in the US
The stunning northern lights might be visible in certain US states for the second night in a row on Monday night.
Also called the aurora borealis, the northern lights may be spotted with the naked eye in some states, with a half dozen of them in the north having the highest chance.
The states most likely to have a view of the lights are Alaska, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Wisconsin, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Other states with a lower likelihood of aurora sightings are Maine, South Dakota, Washington, and the northern parts of Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Wyoming.
Auroras form when charged sun particles interact with the Earth's gases in the upper atmosphere.
The sun particles, primarily electrons and protons, strike the upper atmosphere at up to 45million mph, creating the phenomenon.
They appear in the northern hemisphere in a variety of hues including green, pink, and less commonly, violet, blue, red and yellow.
The auroras come in different shapes including patches, streams, arcs and curtains in the night sky.
A rare, severe solar storm occurred last week and weather forecasters issued an alert for it on Sunday. More Trending
Another solar storm appeared to be traveling towards Earth on Monday.
Increased solar activity is also causing the auroras to appear more frequently and father south than in the past.
The auroras cannot be seen during the day, only from after sunset to shortly before sunrise.
They can be seen from up to 1000km away from where they are dancing overhead.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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