Stunning Aurora Borealis Lights Up Northern US and Canada

The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is mesmerizing viewers across the northern United States and Canada due to increased solar activity. Visible sightings are anticipated in several states on Wednesday night. NOAA advises optimal viewing away from city lights, ideally around midnight during equinoxes.

The aurora borealis is continuing to dazzle viewers across the northern United States and Canada.

This year has been particularly favorable for auroral displays — colorful sky phenomena also known as northern lights, even in lower latitudes. The increased sightings are attributed to heightened electromagnetic activity as the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cycle.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that, weather permitting, the phenomenon might be observed Wednesday night in parts of the northern U.S., including Washington, Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine.

NOAA advises enthusiasts to seek viewing locations far from city lights. The optimal time is usually within an hour or two before or after midnight, particularly around the spring and fall equinoxes, when the solar wind interacts most effectively with Earth's magnetosphere.

(With inputs from agencies.)