Northern lights could dance across the sky this week

A fast-moving stream of particles is being spewed out from the sun, and it could produce a light show here on Earth.

Both the Space Weather Prediction Center(SWPC) in the U.S. and Natural Resources Canada are forecasting the stream of particles could cause a geomagnetic storm over the coming days, which for us, means a potential display of northern lights.

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The particles are streaming out of a coronal hole on the sun, an area where the magnetic field opens up and allows particles to travel faster than normal.

If the particles reach Earth, they interact with our magnetic field, producing the colours we see in the northern lights, or aurora borealis.

The SWPC has issued a minor geomagnetic storm watch for today and a moderate watch overnight. That means there is a chance to see the aurora across the entire country.

If you have clear skies, the best chance you'll have to see them is at a dark-sky location, away from city lights.