Here’s why you might see the northern lights this Halloween weekend

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The northern lights as seen from the Cameron River viewpoint off the Ramparts falls trail on the Ingraham trail near Yellowknife, Canada.

VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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When the solar flare eruption happened, it resulted in a coronal mass ejection, or a large cloud of solar-charged particles headed toward Earth. These particles are what may amplify the northern lights.

If you want to increase your chances of seeing the lights or seeing them as clearly as possible, it’s recommended that you get out of cities or to places with less light pollution.

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Earlier this year, scientists finally answered a long-asked question of what causes the lights. They said those stunning displays of green, blue and purple lights come from disturbances on the sun pulling on Earth’s magnetic field. From there, cosmic waves are created that launch high-speed electrons into the atmosphere, which creates the phenomenon.

For the other effects of the geomagnetic storm, NOAA listed possible effects of voltage irregularities, false alarms on some protection devices and interruptions to navigation and radio signals.

If you’re not in an area where you might see the lights this time, there’s always Halloween movies to watch, pumpkin carving or smashing and the good old-fashioned trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.