Northern Lights Could Be Visible In MA This Weekend

BOSTON -- The northern lights could illuminate parts of New England this weekend, forecasters say. There's a chance the lights could be visible in several northern states amid a possible "geomagnetic storm" on Saturday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.

Vermont, New Hampshire and upstate New York will have the best chance at seeing the lights, a NOAA chart shows, but they might also make an appearance in southern New England, New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Luckily, the Boston-area forecast calls for clear skies Saturday night.

The geomagnetic storm looms as forecasters anticipate a coronal mass ejection, or a release of material from an outer layer of the sun.

Also known as the aurora borealis, the northern lights occur when electrons hit Earth's atmosphere, according to NOAA. They can take several forms such as cloth-like rays or arcs that stretch across the sky, the agency says.