"Northern Lights to Illuminate 17 States This Week Amid Solar Storm"

A solar storm expected on Thursday is predicted to make the Northern Lights visible in 17 American states, including Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine, and Maryland. The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has forecast auroral activity, and the best viewing times are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. The Northern Lights occur when a magnetic solar wind interacts with the Earth's magnetic field, causing atoms in the upper atmosphere to glow.