Strong show of northern lights expected tonight in Vermont. Here's when to see it

The northern lights may be visible over a large portion of the country tonight, including Vermont.

On Wednesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center issued an alert that a geomagnetic storm could reach Earth Thursday.

Officials are predicting the geomagnetic storm , which is when an eruption of solar material and magnetic fields arrives at Earth, could bring colorful auroras over much of the northern half of the country. A severe storm this one has the potential to be like the one in May, during which people all over the country were able to see the lights with the naked eye.

"Watches at this level are very rare," NOAA said.

Here's what to know about the forecast.

When will the northern lights be visible in Vermont?

Officials say they are expecting the aurora to reach Earth between Thursday morning and mid-afternoon, but they won't know exactly the best time for viewing until the storm gets closer to Earth.

NOAA has a spacecraft one million miles away from Earth that can detect when a solar storm is headed over the planet. When it is detected by the spacecraft, the auroras are expected to be seen over Earth within 15-30 minutes.

NOAA said it will issue an alert on its website when officials have more information about timing.

Where will the northern lights be visible?

The northern lights are expected to be visible over much of the northern half of the country Thursday, including in Vermont, according to a prediction from NOAA.

"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 said.

How to see the northern lights

The best time to see an aurora is when it's dark out, usually between an hour or two of midnight, according to NOAA . Officials recommend getting away from city lights and sticking to lower latitudes.

"There may be aurora in the evening and morning but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing," NOAA said.

Where to check the northern lights forecast

To track the latest northern lights forecast, check out these websites:

• The Space Weather Prediction Center
• Space.com
• Aurora forecast page (NOAA)
• Aurora Reach
• Aurora Alerts

Are the northern lights dangerous?

The solar storms that cause the northern lights can affect technology by inducing extra currents in the ground that can degrade power grid operations, according to NOAA .

Geomagnetic storms can also modify the signal from radio navigation systems, according to NOAA.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Strong show of northern lights expected tonight in Vermont. Here's when to see it