Northern lights return to Minnesota, the Dakotas. Here's how to see them.

The northern lights, one of nature's more unique presentations, have returned to Minnesota, South Dakota and the Northlands.

Space weather forecasters issued a watch after solar flares last weekend caused multiple coronal mass ejections (CME) — eruptions of solar material — to form, and they’re expected to arrive at Earth this week.

Typically, you can only see the northern lights near the poles, but during strong solar storms, the aurora can be visible further south, including in central Minnesota, the Dakotas and beyond.

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To have the best chance to see the northern lights this round, drive away from the city lights, look toward the northern horizon, and let your eyes adjust to the darkness. If the northern lights are out, experts say they will initially appear as a hazy green smudge before becoming more defined as your eyes adjust.

Remember, any storms will potentially hinder visibility. Northern lights can also be more difficult to see in the summer months, due to less darkness. The sun generally needs to be at least 15 degrees below the horizon to get past what's called nautical twilight.

Also known as Aurora Borealis, the lights are most often seen in Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, but the solar cycle that’s currently peaking has allowed the lights to be visible in places to the south. The recent uptick in northern lights displays comes as the sun approaches its solar activity peak, which happens roughly once per decade. The current cycle is estimated to reach its solar maximum late this year and last about 18 months.

Fox 9 in Minneapolis has provided some items to keep in mind when attempting to see the northern lights. We’ve condensed those tips here:

• Get as far away as possible from light pollution and large cities.
• The aurora lives dozens of miles above our weather, so clouds will obstruct your view. You will not see the aurora if there are clouds.
• Try to get an unobstructed view of the northern horizon. While a strong coronal mass ejection or CME could make the aurora appear more overhead, it is far more likely that we will only be able to see them lower than 30 degrees above the northern horizon.
• The Aurora is extremely variable and changes quickly over short periods of time. You may sit and watch the horizon for hours, yet only see a 5-minute show of brilliant colors.
• In the lower 48 states, the Aurora will not look as good with your eyes as what professional cameras can capture and the corresponding images posted online.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Northern lights return to Minnesota, the Dakotas. Here's how to see them.