Look to the night's sky this evening after dusk and you could be in for an amazing visual experience.

The aurora borealis (northern lights) are expected to light up the heavens throughout much of the upper midwest tonight.

It's not that often the northern lights are visible this far south from the north pole, but we can thank the sun for this chance occurrence. A sunspot recently erupted into a solar flare, which isn't anything out of the ordinary for the sun. However, the way it was pointed in the direction of our planet is what will be giving parts of the midwest an unusual peek at the auroras tonight. In fact, much of the upper midwest is under what is called a "Geomagnetic Storm Watch". That's when a major magnetic storm from the sun has the potential to hit the earth.

Typically, the only state that gets frequent looks at the northern lights is the state of Alaska. But every once in a while, we in the lower 48 get treated to one of the most extraordinary visual events this planet has to offer.

According to Dakota News Now, the northern lights could be seen as far south as Iowa and Nebraska tonight. The image below gives a good look at what areas of the country have the best shot at seeing the aurora borealis this evening.

Story Source: Dakota News Now

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