Northern lights may be visible from these 17 US states on Thursday

People often consider the northern lights some of the most beautiful sky phenomena you can spot. However, it’s sometimes hard to get somewhere that they’re visible. That could change later this week, though, as skywatchers could get a chance to see the northern lights this July in up to 17 different U.S. states.

The lights are expected to appear in the sky on July 13, which is a Thursday. Most of these phenomena are caused by solar winds coming in from the sun and striking Earth’s magnetic field, and this time will be no different. According to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, auroral activity will be higher than normal on July 13, with some highly active lights visible throughout Canada and the U.S.

Now, the states that are expected to get glimpses of the northern lights this July are all still pretty far north, so if you’re down in Texas or New Mexico, you shouldn’t expect to see any kind of light displays in the sky. We have seen auroras appear in New Mexico in the past, though, so it isn’t unheard of with the right circumstances.

According to USA Today, the university predicts that auroras will be visible in the night sky “from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit to Vancouver, Helena, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Bay City, Toronto, Montpelier, and Charlottetown, and visible low on the horizon from Salem, Boise, Cheyenne, Lincoln, Indianapolis and Annapolis.”

Additionally, here’s a list of the 17 states currently predicted to see the northern lights overhead during the event:

• Alaska
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• New York
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

If you want to get a chance to see these auroras when they come through on July 13, you’ll want to head outside between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. You’ll also have the best chance of seeing them away from bright city lights, so those who live outside of bigger cities will have the most likely chance of spotting these July northern lights.

People often consider the northern lights some of the most beautiful sky phenomena you can spot. However, it’s sometimes hard to get somewhere that they’re visible. That could change later this week, though, as skywatchers could get a chance to see the northern lights this July in up to 17 different U.S. states.

The lights are expected to appear in the sky on July 13, which is a Thursday. Most of these phenomena are caused by solar winds coming in from the sun and striking Earth’s magnetic field, and this time will be no different. According to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, auroral activity will be higher than normal on July 13, with some highly active lights visible throughout Canada and the U.S.

Now, the states that are expected to get glimpses of the northern lights this July are all still pretty far north, so if you’re down in Texas or New Mexico, you shouldn’t expect to see any kind of light displays in the sky. We have seen auroras appear in New Mexico in the past, though, so it isn’t unheard of with the right circumstances.

According to USA Today, the university predicts that auroras will be visible in the night sky “from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit to Vancouver, Helena, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Bay City, Toronto, Montpelier, and Charlottetown, and visible low on the horizon from Salem, Boise, Cheyenne, Lincoln, Indianapolis and Annapolis.”

Additionally, here’s a list of the 17 states currently predicted to see the northern lights overhead during the event:

• Alaska
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• New York
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

If you want to get a chance to see these auroras when they come through on July 13, you’ll want to head outside between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. You’ll also have the best chance of seeing them away from bright city lights, so those who live outside of bigger cities will have the most likely chance of spotting these July northern lights.