ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —

The Northern Lights produced a spectacular show in New Mexico and many parts of the country on Tuesday.

Another show is possible in New Mexico tonight.

Many have asked what causes the Northern Lights? The simple answer is the sun.

KOAT 7 Weather meteorologist Eric Green says the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, come from coronal mass ejections associated with sunspots.

After a coronal mass ejection, the particles of the sun take an average of 3.5 days to get to the earth. Some could reach earth in less than a day.

Sunspots occur in 11-year cycles, and the sun is currently in a solar maximum period.

Solar storms from coronal mass ejections can cause damage to satellites, disrupt communications and GPS applications, and could impact electric util

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