Residents in twelve US states could have a chance to see the northern lights on Tuesday night, according to forbes.com. The aurora borealis may become visible over those states as solar activity affects Earth's magnetic field.
Forbes.com attributes the opportunity to a coronal hole facing Earth, a feature also noted by spaceweatherlive.com. Magnetic storms are expected around September 15 and 16, UA.NEWS reports, which is the window in which the displays could appear.
People.com has also published guidance on watching the northern lights from the twelve states named in the forecasts, suggesting the event is being treated as a viewing opportunity rather than a severe space weather episode.
Aurora displays occur when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. Coronal holes are regions of the sun's outer atmosphere that release solar wind at higher speeds, and when one is aimed at Earth, the resulting disturbance can push the aurora to lower latitudes than usual. That is the mechanism behind the forecasts circulating for Tuesday night.
Coverage of the event has focused on where the lights might be seen rather than on any reported disruption. A separate report carried by dars.gov.et described an earlier forecast in which the aurora could light up skies over eight US states on a Thursday night, indicating that such forecasts are issued regularly as solar conditions change.
For viewers, the practical takeaway from the reporting is that visibility depends on the strength of the geomagnetic disturbance and on local sky conditions.
What to watch next: updated aurora forecasts for Tuesday night and whether the expected magnetic storms around September 15 and 16 strengthen or fade.