Northern Lights in NY tonight?

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - It could be a potential rare treat for our area tonight.  Look up in the sky and you could see the Northern Lights.

The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks reports that the aurora borealis will be highly active tonight.

It says that it will be visible low on the horizon as far south as Annapolis, Maryland tonight.

NOAA has issued a magnetic storm watch because a high speed solar wind stream from the Sun may be hitting the Earth.  That will increase the chances of the aurora being more widespread.

That means that there is potential to see the natural display in all of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.  You would need to be in a dark area (sorry everyone in New York City) and have a  clear view of the northern skies.  Experts also say the best chance is in the middle of the night, when the sun is on the other side of the planet.

While the chances of seeing it in the New York City area are low, upstate New York is expected to have a good chance of seeing the aurora.