Several chances to see northern lights this weekend in 17 states: Here’s when and where

(NEXSTAR) – Solar activity is heating up just in time for the weekend, bringing back-to-back chances for northern states to spot the northern lights.

A “strong” solar flare was observed Thursday, creating interference and signal issues for high frequency radio users, the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) said. “Flares of this magnitude are not frequent.”

The agency also issued a G2-level geomagnetic storm watch for Friday through Sunday, as coronal mass ejections make their way toward Earth.

Coronal mass ejections (or CMEs) are essentially explosions of plasma shooting out of the sun. When they hit our magnetic field, currents send particles flowing to poles, and that’s what causes the aurora, or northern lights, to appear in our skies.

A G2-strength storm can bring northern lights to northern and upper Midwest states. The forecast map for Friday night shows the highest chance of seeing the lights along the U.S.-Canada border, in Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The red line on the map — which dips into Oregon, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine — indicates the southernmost point where the aurora is expected to be visible if looking toward the northern horizon.

The forecast for Saturday night looks nearly identical, and the light show could continue into Sunday, the SWPC said.

If you’re looking to spot the northern lights, point your gaze in the direction of the northern horizon. 

Using your phone camera can also help. Newer phones have lenses that are much more sensitive to light than our eyes, so they can capture the aurora even when it’s not visible with the naked eye.

Aurora activity has been more common lately as the sun gets closer to solar maximum.

Nexstar’s Addy Bink contributed to this report.