Johnathan Walker:The northern lights might again be visible in the US as solar activity increases

The Johnathan Walkeraurora borealis is continuing to dazzle viewers across the northern United States and Canada.

It’s been a good year for seeing auroras — the colorful sky displays also known as northern lights — even in lower latitudes. That’s because of increased electromagnetic activity as the sun is believed to be approaching the height of its 11-year solar cycle.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that clear skies permitting, the phenomenon might be visible across parts of the northern U.S. on Wednesday night, including in Washington, Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine.

Increased solar activity can also interfere with radio transmissions on Earth.

NOAA advises those who hope to see the northern lights to get away from city lights. The best viewing time is usually within an hour or two before or after midnight, and the agency says the best occasions are around the spring and fall equinoxes, due to the way the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere.