Aurora borealis could be seen in New York, Idaho

(NewsNation) — People as far south as New York and Idaho could get a chance to see the aurora borealis this weekend as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts a geomagnetic storm.

The predicted storm follows a coronal mass ejection on Aug. 1, which happens when plasma and magnetic fields from the sun are projected toward Earth. The electrically charged ions collide with Earth's atmosphere, causing geomagnetic storms and creating the multicolored, dancing lights that are usually only seen farther north.