NORTHERN LIGHTS

The agency said Saturday that there is a 99% chance of a minor or greater solar radiation storm to occur.

Northern Lights FILE - Wade Kitner looks at the northern lights as he fishes in Ventura, Iowa, on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. A fireworks show that has nothing to do with the Fourth of July and everything to do with the cosmos is poised to be visible across the northern United States and Europe just in time for the Halloween weekend, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. On Thursday, the sun launched what is called an “X-class solar flare" that was strong enough to spark a high-frequency radio blackout across parts of South America. The energy from that flare is trailed by a cluster of solar plasma and other material called a coronal mass ejection, or CME for short. But really it just means that a good chunk of the northern part of the country may get treated to a light show called the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights.

Light show: A solar flare could cause the Northern Lights to be seen in some parts of the United States this weekend. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)Thanks to a large solar flare, the Northern Lights may put on a beautiful show in the skies during the Halloween weekend for some U.S. residents. Another look at the X1 solar flare and the resulting CME as seen by SOHO/LASCO. When a solar flare occurs, X-rays and other high-energy particles are thrown outward in all directions, according to the newspaper. A G3 geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for October 30.

The sun lobbed four enormous blobs of plasma toward Earth, and we will soon see their effects.

Looking to get into aurora photography? Here are the best cameras, lenses and tripod kits for capturing the Northern Lights.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Seeing the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis is on the bucket list of many people. The northern lights are a result of these storms. Typically the northern lights hang out closer to the poles, way up north in Canada, Alaska and northern Europe, but during a strong event like this one, they can be seen further south. Northern Lights forecastThe further south you are, the lower in the sky the potential glow will be. The northern lights have been seen in Florida a few times, but it’s extremely rare and takes a large disruption of Earth’s magnetic field from an intense geomagnetic storm.

It can appear closer to the equator than a typical aurora, and is often accompanied by a "picket fence" of jagged green points dancing beside it. Nobody knows what causes STEVE, but scientists agree it's no mere aurora. These tiny smears of green light are sometimes seen extending horizontally from the bottom of STEVE's green fence pickets, curving backward for about 20 to 30 seconds before vanishing from view. That makes the streaks "the lowest‐altitude and smallest‐scale optical feature associated with STEVE," the researchers wrote in the study. One clue about the streaks' origins comes from their green color, which is identical to the color of STEVE’s picket fence.

In the high latitudes of Alaska, the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, are a light show like no other. Lee Cowan travels to Fairbanks to witness the magical, even spiritual experience that viewing these extraordinary phenomena can be, and talks with photographer Ronn Murray about capturing the Aurora.