Canadians across the country can catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights on Friday

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Canadians may be in for a rare meteorological treat this week: a view of the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis.

The Weather Network says the spectacular glowing lights could be visible in parts of northern Atlantic Canada, Northern Quebec, Northeastern Ontario, Western Ontario, the Prairies and the B.C. Interior on Friday, thanks to a geomagnetic storm.

Here’s what you need to know about how to catch a glimpse of the colourful light show in your area.

Where can you see the Northern Lights this week?

According to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks (UAF), which used data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Northern Lights will be visible in parts of Canada and the United States this week – specifically, further south than usual.

The institute’s predictions show that, weather permitting, skies will light up in Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit in the north all the way to Edmonton, Winnipeg and Sept-Iles, Que. It could also be visible further south, along the horizon, in Vancouver, Ottawa and St. John’s.

Skywatchers in parts of the U.S. may also be able to catch a glimpse of the lights from Juneau, Alaska all the way down to Madison, Wis.; Great Falls, Mont.; Pierre, S.D.; Lansing, Mich. and Portland, Ore.

In general, however, the best places to view the aurora borealis are often “high northern latitudes during the winter in Alaska, Canada, and Scandinavia,” according to the university. It lists places such as Fairbanks, Alaska; Dawson City, Yukon; Yellowknife; Gillam, Man.; Reykjavik, Iceland; and Tromsø, Norway as the best overhead viewpoints.

When is the best time to see the Northern Lights?

The best time to watch out for the aurora is within three to four hours of midnight, according to the UAF. The most active displays of light can happen later in the night, between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.

The aurora borealis occurs throughout the night, but visibility is dictated by weather, the lunar cycles, and sunrise and sunset times.

Are some years better to view the Northern Lights than others?

An 11-year solar cycle that’s expected to peak in 2025 has the potential to make the lights visible in places farther to the south. It’s called the solar maximum, and the chances of seeing the Northern Lights at lower latitudes increase when the sun cycle is at a peak, according to the UAF. The last solar maximum was in 2014.

In April, the light displays were visible along the U.S.-Canada border, and even further south. People were able to see the lights in Calgary, Toronto, Fredericton, Wisconsin, Colorado, California, New Mexico and parts of Arizona.

In fact, during an extreme event in 1958, the aurora borealis was even visible from Mexico City.

What causes the Northern Lights?

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The Northern Lights are the glow that is seen around the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres.

The light is caused “by collisions between electrically charged particles streaming out from the sun in the solar wind that enter Earth’s atmosphere and collide with molecules and atoms of gas, primarily oxygen and nitrogen,” according to the UAF. The energy from the collisions releases light that causes the upper atmosphere to glow, creating colourful displays of greens, blues, pinks and reds.

During periods of stronger solar wind activity, we tend to see more aurora displays. More solar particles can make the Northern Lights brighter and also push them down toward the equator – giving people farther south a view.

With reports from The Associated Press