WASHINGTON — The northern lights may light up the night sky early this week in the northern half of the continental U.S.

Forecasters have issued a strong (G3) geomagnetic storm watch for Tuesday, Dec. 9. That's because a strong solar flare led to a burst of solar energy known as a coronal mass ejection (CME). That energy is traveling fast through space and is expected to arrive at Earth on Monday night and Tuesday. When this energy hits Earth, it causes disruptions in the magnetic field and leads to the aurora borealis.

Last month, the northern lights put on colorful displays across several U.S. states following a severe G4 geomagnetic storm watch. G4-level watches are rare, with only four alerts issued so far this solar cycle, NOAA said.

According to the NOAA's Space Weather Predic

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