Northern lights expected to be visible in 17 states on Thursday

The colorful northern lights will likely be on display in 17 states on Thursday, including some that rarely experience the phenomenon.

The states expected to see the northern lights are Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks said.

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are caused by solar wind hitting the atmosphere. In Alaska, the northern lights are routinely spotted, but this year, with an 11-year solar cycle expected to hit its apex, the lights are visible in states further south.

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To get the best views of the aurora borealis, people in cities should drive out of town to areas where there aren't as many lights, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center suggested, with the optimal viewing time between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.