Northern states could see northern lights Thursday, Friday

Northern states might be able to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis from Thursday through Friday, space weather experts have said.

Part of the reason for the southern push for the northern lights is a Tuesday solar flare that should affect the Earth's magnetic field, report The Associated Press. If we're really lucky, those as far south as Colorado could see the northern lights.

Due to the disruption from the Sun, GPS devices could be affected on Thursday and flights that would normally go near the Earth's poles will be altered.

The solar flare is traveling about 4.3 mph NASA solar physicist Jeffrey Newmark said, according to USA Today.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center's Joe Kunches said that a solar flare is when "the (sun's) magnetic field gets twisted up in a high-energy state and it relaxes, and that releases a tremendous amount of energy."

When exactly the solar flare will hit the Earth won't be known until roughly half an hour before it hits as the flare will pass NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer satellite, which will relay the readings back.

image: Wikimedia Commons