Where to see northern lights tonight as experts say geomagnetic storm ‘likely to strike’ – check map for your hometown

STUNNING northern lights could be visible across a huge chunk of North America tonight.

Space scientists have revealed how dazzling aurora could stretch across Canada into the United States.

Scientists say G2 geomagnetic "storming" was deemed "likely" to occur on August 13.

That's moderate storming, following on from more significant storming on Sunday and Monday.

"The aurora may become visible over some northern and upper Midwest states from New York to Idaho," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationn (NOAA) explained.

By contrast, Monday saw a G4 geomagnetic storm – causing more southerly aurora than usual.

"A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for aurora to be seen faintly as far south as Alabama and northern California," the NOAA said at the time.

WHAT CAUSES NORTHERN LIGHTS?

Northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, are a light-show in the sky.

It's caused by electrons colliding with the upper parts of Earth's atmosphere.

This process is caused by the Sun, but you'll only be able to see auroras once it gets dark.

The Sun is constantly blasting energy at Earth, but sometimes solar storms can create significant ejections.

And with a very large "coronal mass ejection", a huge mass of high-speed plasma and magnetic field is blasted towards Earth.

These particles move towards Earth and travel along magnetic field lines, interacting with our atmosphere.

And as the particles interact with the gases in our atmosphere, they generate stunning lights in the sky.

When they interact with oxygen you'll see green and red, while nitrogen produces blues and purples.

TIPS FOR SEEING THE AURORA

The NOAA has shared its top tips for stargazers hoping to see the northern lights.

First, make sure you're checking the latest space weather – the forecast can change at very short notice.

If you have the option, make sure to go as north as possible. The closer you get to the magnetic north pole, the better chance you have of seeing aurora.

And remember that you'll want to be looking towards the north too.

"Given the right vantage point, say for example on top of a hill in the northern hemisphere with an unobstructed view toward the north, a person can see aurora even when it is 1000 km (600 miles) further north," the NOAA explained.

The best seasons for aurora watching are around the spring and fall equinoxes.

"It should be noted that if you are in the right place under the aurora, you can see very nice auroral displays even with low geomagnetic activity."

You'll also want to make sure you're somewhere dark, so get out of the city.

Avoid looking at the full Moon if it's bright, and don't stare at smartphone apps either – both will limit your eye's adjustment to the darkness.

The NOAA says that the best time to view the aurora is usually "within an hour or two of midnight" – so between 10pm and 2am at your local time.

Auroras – how do they work?

Here's the official explanation from Nasa...

• The dancing lights of the auroras provide spectacular views on the ground, but also capture the imagination of scientists who study incoming energy and particles from the sun
• Auroras are one effect of such energetic particles, which can speed out from the sun both in a steady stream called the solar wind and due to giant eruptions known as coronal mass ejections or CMEs
• After a trip toward Earth that can last two to three days, the solar particles and magnetic fields cause the release of particles already trapped near Earth, which in turn trigger reactions in the upper atmosphere in which oxygen and nitrogen molecules release photons of light
• The result: the Northern and Southern lights.

If you've got some time to plan, you'll can increase your chances even further.

"The best seasons for aurora watching are around the spring and fall equinoxes," the NOAA said.

"Due to subtleties in the way the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere, there is a tendency towards larger geomagnetic storms, and thus better auroras, to occur near the equinoxes.

"However, the number of hours of darkness decreases (increases) rapidly near the spring (fall) equinox so this caveat must be considered for those traveling to see the aurora."