Aurora borealis watch: The northern lights can be seen again this evening. Here’s where and when to see them

If you missed last night’s spectacular northern lights, fear not. There may be another opportunity to view the aurora borealis on Friday night.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explained that the aurora borealis may be visible in many parts of the northern US, and some of the lower Midwest to Oregon.

The lights are best seen “just after sunset,” advises NOAA. If you can’t see them with the naked eye, you can photograph them with a phone or camera.

On Thursday night, Americans as far south as Florida and as far north as Maine were treated to a rare, dazzling display of red, green, and purple. People in brightly lit cities like New York City and Chicago posted pictures on social media of the unusual sighting. The aurora borealis is usually seen near the poles, not over the contiguous US

Thursday and Friday night’s aurora borealis sightings are the result of a “severe” G3 geomagnetic storm (3 out of 5 on NOAA’s severity scale). A geomagnetic storm occurs when a coronal mass ejection, an explosion of solar material, reaches Earth.

The increase in solar activity this year is a result of the 11-year solar cycle that culminates in October. Solar activity is expected to remain high for the next year or so.

Track the aurora borealis on the NOAA map and page, where the agency provides live updates.