Space weather experts say northern states may be able to see the aurora borealis, or northern lights, Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
The strongest magnetic storm of the current solar cycle is underway. It's likely to continue for the next 24 hours, according to meteorologist Rich Marriott, and with a little clearing possible later Tuesday night, Washington residents may get a glimpse.
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The northern lights appear when atoms in the Earth's high-altitude atmosphere collide with energetic charged particles from the sun. They usually appear as shimmering green waves of light in the nighttime sky in polar latitudes. Much more rarely, they can be red and even blue.
Before sunrise, bright auroras were sighted over several northern-tier states, according to SpaceWeather.com.
These kinds of solar storms are a normal part of the sun's activity.
