This weekend the Northern Lights will dazzle the US amid the “most powerful solar flare of its kind.”

The US skies are poised to potentially don a colorful, epic avatar this weekend as October offers no relief from the fiery rage at the heart of our solar system. The Sun's signature “fireball” existence opened the month with a bang, triggering the “most powerful of its kind” solar flare earlier this week, according to Space.com.

Following the recent solar flare, residents of some northern US states may witness the Aurora Borealis and its breathtaking cosmic fireworks display. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm watches for Friday, October 4th through Sunday, October 6th.

SWPC tweeted on October 4: “G3 geomagnetic storm forecast

Highest storm intensity predicted per day:

Oct. 5: G3 (strong) Oct. 6: G3 (strong) Oct. 7: G1 (minor)

Issue date: October 4, 2024, 1857 UTC.

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The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had originally predicted that the geomagnetic storm watch would end on Saturday, but subsequent updates extended the duration until Sunday.

The weather agency confirmed that in optimal weather, aurora hunters are likely to catch a stunning glimpse of the “very pleasant to watch” dancing auroras. To best view the Northern Lights, NOAA advises stargazers to travel near the poles and avoid light pollution.

Where are the Northern Lights likely to be visible?

Click On Detroit reported that all of Michigan will have a chance to see the arctic rainbow.

According to Forbes, continental US states that may be blessed with the ethereal images of the Aurora Borealis include Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New York Hampshire, and Maine.

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More about recent solar flares

The sun's 11-year cycle was responsible for geomagnetic storms, which in turn produced aurora borealis in the sky. Solar Cycle 25 began in December 2019 and NASA expects it to last into next year. The current cycle is expected to peak between late 2024 and early 2026, causing further geomagnetic storms. Wednesday's powerful solar flare of magnitude X7.1 was followed by a solar flare of magnitude X9.0 on Thursday – the unusual development is the strongest in cycle 25.

“Solar cycles are an average of 11 years during which the sun goes from a minimum of activity to a maximum and back to a minimum again. This occurs because of the magnetic turbulence that occurs when the sun flips its magnetic poles approximately every 11 years,” a NOAA spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

“Although it is difficult to say how large the aurora extent during geomagnetic storms might actually be – in general, the upper end of the G3 (geomagnetic storm) level could allow residents of northern New York to see the auroras,” they added added.