Best time to see the Northern Lights in the northern United States is Monday evening

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center is predicting an alternomagnetic storm that could cause the Northern Lights to be visible as far south as New York City, Nebraska and Indiana.

Places like Northern Virginia and Oklahoma could catch the lights if they look north on the horizon.

The Kp index or Planetary K index is 6 for Monday evening, which means high auroral activity.

The Northern Lights are also called Aurora Borealis. The season begins at the end of August and lasts until mid-April.

These are the few months when the sky is dark enough at night for observation purposes. The best hours are from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Here are a few vantage points. The best times on Monday night are around 11pm to 3am.

From any location north of the Dakotas, northern New York, or northern New England, you can look directly into the sky. Be sure to find a dark observation post away from city lights.

If you are near Virginia and northern Oklahoma along the line of sight, you must look directly north along the horizon.

Sometimes you can't see the lights with the naked eye. In this case, you can use your smartphone. You can open the camera app, increase the exposure, point at the sky, and take a photo. Depending on where you are trying to view the lights from, the lights will most likely show up in your photo.

Do you have questions about the weather? Email our Weather Authority team at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!