Northern lights could be visible in the Chicago area. When to Look – NBC Chicago

Although cloudy skies blocked many people in the Chicago area from seeing the Northern Lights on Thursday, residents have not one, but two more chances to see them.

And one seems better than the other.

Here's what you should know:

When can you see the Northern Lights in Chicago?

According to the National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center, a G3 geomagnetic storm warning is in effect for several days following a series of solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) earlier this week, making the aurora borealis visible over a wide swath could of the United States.

The NBC 5 Storm Team reported a solar flare Thursday morning that was the largest since 2017. Although not all solar flares are followed by CMEs, this one was.

The storm warning is in effect from Friday overnight through Sunday, most likely every night.

Which days are best for viewing?

The next chance to see the display will be Friday night and Saturday morning, where clearer conditions are expected. Although the potential line of sight extends south of Chicago, the aurora borealis may not be as strong, meaning using a phone camera could be a better way to see it, according to officials.

The better chances are on Saturday evening. However, viewers should check the cloud cover forecast as rain is possible overnight into Sunday morning.

What time should you check?

According to NBC 5 Storm Team meteorologist Kevin Jeanes, the best viewing times are between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Saturday and 10 p.m. Saturday and 1 a.m. Sunday. The rain is not expected to start until around 1am on Sunday.

Jeanes noted that outbursts “of this magnitude can be impulsive and last from a few minutes to a few hours,” meaning the visibility of the lights can fluctuate dramatically at any time.

What are the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are moving waves of light that can be seen in the night sky.

According to SWPC, CMEs are “large explosions of plasma and magnetized particles from the solar corona.” These ejections increase in size as they approach Earth's atmosphere and can trigger geomagnetic storms when they arrive.

The Northern Lights occur when these charged particles collide with the Earth's magnetic field, interacting with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere and producing bright and wavy colors in the sky.

The Northern Lights are generally only visible at high altitudes, but cases like this week's geomagnetic storm can cause these particles to be visible over greater distances.