Northern Lights Visible , Across North America , After Massive Solar Eruption.<br />On September 18, skywatchers across the United States <br />and Canada were wowed by brilliant northern lights <br />following a powerful eruption on the sun.<br />NBC reports that the vivid light show <br />was visible in multiple Western and <br />Midwestern states, from Montana to Minnesota.<br />The northern lights, otherwise known as the aurora borealis, are the result of charged particles from solar storms interacting with Earth's atmosphere.<br />Normally, the northern lights <br />are only visible in the night <br />sky at higher latitudes. .<br />During periods of intense solar <br />activity the aurora borealis can be <br />spotted further south than normal.<br />The latests auroras were the <br />result of a coronal mass ejection <br />that occurred on September 16.<br />On September 18, the Aberdeen, South Dakota, <br />branch of the National Weather Service <br />released photos of the auroras.<br />Similarly, skywatchers in Glasgow, Montana, <br />reported seeing dazzling displays, <br />despite overcast conditions.<br />NBC reports that the auroras are best viewed <br />from dark locations away from light pollution.<br />A short-term forecast of the northern lights <br />can be found at NOAA's Space Weather <br />Prediction Center's aurora dashboard
