Parts of the US could see northern lights Monday

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The aurora could be visible across Canada and much of the northern tier of U.S. states — and possibly farther south — Monday night following a major disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field, a forecast shows.

The forecast, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center, comes amid intense geomagnetic and solar radiation storms, said Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at the center.

Geomagnetic storms that can lead to vivid northern lights also can interfere with satellite operations, GPS communications and other infrastructure, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Dahl said the current storm isn’t expected to become much weaker until sometime Tuesday.

In November, solar storms brought vibrant auroras to parts of Europe including Hungary and the United Kingdom, and as far south in the United States as Kansas, Colorado and Texas.

Solar radiation storms can affect objects in space and certain types of communications systems, but Dahl said astronauts at the international space station currently are not at risk. The intensity of this storm has not been seen in more than two decades, he said.