You Might See the Northern Lights Tonight

If you're a night owl you may be able to see the Northern Lights!

Our bright shiny sun is going a little crazy lately. It's currently is in the peak of its 11-year cycle, even through its activity is low compared to a typical solar max. Earth is getting hit with with powerful waves of energy ejected from the sun. These are known as corneal mass ejections or CMEs.

When the CMEs hit Earth, the charged particles interact with our planets magnetic field and atmosphere. The result is the amazing display of colors, ranging from red, green, blue and white.

The interesting aspect of this solar storm is how close in succession the powerful CMEs erupted from the sun. The first CME burst formed Monday night and hit Earth last night. The second more powerful CME erupted Wednesday. It should hit Earth tonight, and into the early morning hours Saturday.

With clear skies in the forecast, there's a good chance of seeing them! Get to a dark location away from city lights for the best viewing.

Although this solar storm is a powerful one, it isn't cause for alarm. Officials say GPS signals, radio communications and power transmissions could be disrupted.