This weekend, sky watchers might be in for a treat as a moderate geomagnetic storm is predicted to bring the northern lights, or aurora borealis, as far south as New York and Idaho on August 3 and 4. This stunning light display is thanks to a coronal mass ejection (CME) from a solar flare that erupted on August 1.

CMEs are powerful bursts of plasma and magnetic fields expelled from the sun. When these CMEs collide with Earth’s magnetosphere, they can cause geomagnetic storms. These storms cause ions in Earth’s atmosphere to emit light, resulting in the beautiful northern lights.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a geomagnetic storm warning, predicting moderate G2 storm conditions. This means there is a good chance of seeing auroras if the storm unfolds as expected.

However, space weather is notoriously unpredictable. The intensity of the storm might not reach the forecasted levels. The visibility of the northern lights will depend on the alignment of the magnetic fields in the CME with Earth’s magnetosphere. If the fields align properly, the northern lights will be visible. If not, the light show may not happen.

For those eager to catch a glimpse of this natural phenomenon, it’s worth keeping an eye on space weather updates and hoping for clear skies this weekend.