Minnesotans from every corner of the state might have a chance at seeing the northern lights Thursday night into early Friday morning — and up north, they could cover half the night sky.
The National Weather Service is predicting mostly clear skies throughout the state Thursday night, with some scattered clouds in northern Minnesota, giving hopeful stargazers a better chance at observing the natural light display.
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, occur when charged particles are expelled from the sun and collide with gases in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Billions of little flashes are the result, filling the sky with colorful and dancing lights.
By far the best way to catch the northern lights is by simply heading north, said "Astro" Bob King, who writes an astronomy column for the Duluth News-Tribune and plans to publish a guide to the phenomenon next year.
From midnight to 3 a.m. Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting the peak of a strong geomagnetic storm, or a G3 on its scale from G1 to G5.
With a G3, northern Minnesota would see the lights take up the northern sky and tip into the south as well, King said. And from the Twin Cities, you could get a good view once you leave the metro area's light pollution bubble.
NOAA offers similar advice for viewing the aurora. The magnetic pole is located in the islands of northeast Canada, and given the right vantage point — such as a hill with a clear view toward the north — a person might see the lights from 600 miles away, according to its website.
For those in the Twin Cities, King recommends taking Interstate 35 to Hinckley, leaving the freeway and finding a low-traffic dirt road with a north-facing view of the night sky. Pull over only where it feels safe and bring a friend along, he said.