You don't have to travel all the way up north for a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a geomagnetic storm on Friday, March 24 may mean moderate-to-strong auroras will be visible, Thrillist first reported. Clear skies mean a better chance of seeing the colorful lights, which are often most visible in the farthest north parts of the globe, in the Nordic countries and Alaska.
NOAA's aurora dashboard shows a high likelihood of aurora, visible over the most northern states in the U.S., including North Dakota, Michigan and Minnesota—as well as Canada. This is, of course, just a prediction, similar to a weather forecast, so the aurora may be visible in more southern states as well. The Northern Lights are most visible at the darkest time of night, typically after 11 p.m., though have been sighted as early as 8 p.m. in some areas. They also won't be visible in cities with light pollution, as total darkness is required for a colorful viewing experience.
This natural light show isn't the only reason to look up at the sky this week. A rare celestial event, a planetary alignment, is slated for Tuesday, March 28. On this evening, five planets—Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus, and Mars—will align on the same side of the sun at the same time, meaning on a clear night, humans on earth can see all five planets forming a line.