A geomagnetic storm watch issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been extended and has grown stronger in the last day.

This means if nighttime skies cooperate, people living in Michigan and other Great Lakes states have a good chance of seeing Northern Lights for the next two nights.

A hole in the sun’s atmosphere has sent solar wind - charged particles from the sun - zipping toward Earth. When these particles collide with our planet’s atmosphere, that’s what creates the amazing Northern Lights in hues of green, yellow, purple and even red.

“The last time this hole faced Earth, almost a full month ago, it lashed our magnetosphere with winds faster than 750 km/s (1.7 million mph) and sparked auroras in the USA as far south as Michigan, Idaho, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Wyoming,” staff at Spaceweather.com said in reporting the coming storm.

During that last storm, photographers captured beautiful images of the lights in Frankfort, Traverse City, the Upper Peninsula and around the northern Great Lakes.

What we know about timing

According to NOAA, the storm watch will begin Thursday about 8 p.m. in Michigan and last for roughly 48 hours.

During that first 24-hour window, a 5 Kp level is possible, which means the Northern Lights could be visible as far south as Michigan. During the second 24-hour window, a 6 Kp level is forecast, which would mean the lights would be visible even farther south than the Great Lakes, according to Soft Serve News, which provides detailed aurora forecasts.

Spots in the Lower Peninsula might have the best viewing chances tonight, as the forecast looks cloudy to partly cloudy for many in Northern Michigan after dark.

Friday will bring rain and some thunderstorms across Michigan, but Northern Michigan should see breaks in the clouds overnight into early Saturday.

Happy aurora hunting.