Skywatchers across New England have a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights from Thursday evening through early Friday morning.

A strong solar flare earlier this week sent a coronal mass ejection (CME) straight towards Earth. As of Thursday afternoon, there are already signs of the CME reaching Earth’s magnetic field, which bodes well for the Northern Lights to be active Thursday evening through Friday morning. Skies should be mostly clear on Thursday evening, which will also increase our chances of seeing the Northern Lights.

NOAA predicts that the k-index (a measure of the strength of the geomagnetic storm) will reach 8 on Thursday evening. When the k-index reaches 8, it often means that southern New England can see the Northern Lights.

People in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut should try to get away from the city lights and find a dark, rural location to have the best chance of seeing the aurora.

The Northern Lights should be active shortly after the sun sets and the sky darkens around 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM