Northern Lights to illuminate sky in the US

Zee Media Bureau

Washington: Even as the people in the US is shivering through frigid temperatures, here`s some good news that might help take their mind off from the biting-cold wind as they will have the chance of seeing the shimmering Northern Lights Thursday. The sun shot out a strong solar flare late Tuesday, which should arrive at Earth early Thursday, Federal space weather forecaster Joe Kunches said. It would shake up Earth’s magnetic field and expand the Aurora Borealis south, possibly as far south as Colorado and central Illinois. “If weather permits, best viewing would probably be Thursday evening,” he said. While the University of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute predicts that much of Canada and the northern fringes of the US should see the Northern Lights, Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, Seattle and Des Moines might see the shimmering colours low on the horizon. The solar storm, which is already diverting airline flights around the poles, may disrupt GPS devices on Thursday. With Agency inputs