Although cloudy skies Thursday blocked the view of the Northern Lights for many in the Chicago area, residents will have not one but two more chances to catch them.

And one seems to be better than the other.

Here’s what you need to know:

When can you see the Northern Lights in Chicago?

According to the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center, a G3 geomagnetic storm watch is in effect for several days following a series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun earlier this week, which could make the Aurora Borealis visible over a wide area . of the United States.

The NBC 5 Storm Team reported a solar flare Thursday morning that was the largest since 2017. While not all solar flares are tracked by CMEs, this one was.

The storm watch is in effect Friday through Sunday, with high chances each night.

Which days are best for viewing?

The next chance to see the display is Friday evening and Saturday morning, where clearer conditions are expected. Although the potential viewing line extends south of Chicago, the Aurora Borealis may not be as strong, meaning using a phone camera may be a better way to see them, according to officials.

The better viewing opportunity will be Saturday evening, but viewers will want to check the cloud forecast as there is a chance of rain overnight into Sunday morning.

What time should you watch?

According to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes, the best viewing times are on Saturdays between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. and on Saturdays between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. on Sunday. Rain is not expected until around 1am on Sunday.

Jeanes noted that flares of “this magnitude can be impulsive and last from several minutes to a few hours,” meaning the view of the Lights can fluctuate dramatically at any time.

What are the Northern Lights?

The northern lights, also called aurora borealis, are a moving wave of light that you see in the night sky.

According to the SWPC, CMEs are “large explosions of plasma and magnetized particles from the Sun’s corona.” These emissions grow larger as they approach Earth’s atmosphere and can cause geomagnetic storms upon arrival.

The Northern Lights are created when these charged particles hit Earth’s magnetic field, interacting with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere and producing brilliant and wavy colors in the sky.

The Northern Lights are generally only visible at high altitudes, but events like this week’s geomagnetic storm can make these particles visible over greater distances.