BALTIMORE, MD—If you’ve always wanted to get a peek at the Northern Lights, this could be your week.

The Northern Lights, A.K.A. the aurora borealis, could be visible in parts of Maryland on Thursday, July 13, 2023, according to DelMarVaNow.com.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute forecasts that auroral activity will be high this Thursday, with hyperactive light displays visible in parts of Canada and the U.S.

The Northern Lights could be visible from 17 states on Thursday, including places as far south as Maryland, the Associated Press reported.

The aurora borealis may be visible Wednesday and Thursday night in parts of Washington state, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Massachusetts and Maryland.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center said people wanting to experience an aurora should get away from city lights and that the best viewing times are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.

Northern Lights occur when a magnetic solar wind slams into the Earth’s magnetic field and causes atoms in the upper atmosphere to glow. The lights appear suddenly and the intensity varies.

Viewing tips are available at the Space Weather Prediction Center here.

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