Earlier in the week it was fireworks, now you can look to the skies for the northern lights.

North Dakota is one of 17 states that may be able to view the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, as they appear in the sky over the next several days. But tonight may be your best bet if you live in North Dakota.

This is not the first time this year the luminous natural phenomenon will be visible here. In late April, a geomagnetic storm created lights that were shown over 30 U.S. states including North Dakota, Iowa and Kansas. They may appear in the sky next Thursday, July 13, in more than one dozen states.

Where could the northern lights appear in North Dakota?

If the weather is clear, the northern lights will be visible throughout most of the upper half of the state on July 12 and July 13. But as stated, tonight could be the best chance for Bismarck and the northern half of the state to see the lights, according to a forecast from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.

What time will the northern lights be visible?

The best chance of viewing the aurora borealis is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center states. People interested in viewing should get away from city lights and light pollution for a better chance at seeing them.

The higher the geomagnetic activity, the brighter the aurora is. As July 13 gets closer, the NOAA will monitor the activity and release a forecast of its own.

The northern lights in 17 states:Here’s where you might view them next week.

What states may be able to see the northern lights next week?

Here are the other states that may see the northern lights next week: