Aurora may be visible in parts of U.S. and U.K. after solar eruption

A burst of charged particles from the sun is expected to light the night sky across parts of North America and the United Kingdom late Monday into early Tuesday, forecasters said, raising the chance that the aurora borealis will be visible as far south as parts of the northern United States. The event follows a coronal mass ejection that left the sun over the weekend and is forecast to impact Earth's magnetic field late Monday or early Tuesday, officials said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the incoming disturbance could elevate geomagnetic activity, with Kp index values forecast in some models as high as 6. That level would make auroras visible much farther from the poles than usual. NOAA and other space weather agencies have identified up to 18 U.S. states with at least some chance of seeing the lights, including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, New York and several New England states. The United Kingdom Met Office said the same coronal mass ejection could allow aurora to be seen across much of the UK if skies are sufficiently dark and clear.