The Northeast could be in for a surprise in the sky this weekend with a rare appearance of the northern lights, according to meteorologists.

The stunning natural light show may be visible as far south as New York and Chicago on Saturday night thanks to an incoming geomagnetic storm, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center said.

The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, occur when electrons that are emitted from the sun’s surface collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in Earth’s magnetic field. These collisions cause the electrons to release their energy in the form of light — resulting in the dazzling phenomenon.

The Southern Hemisphere has its own version, known as the southern lights or the aurora australis.

NOAA issued a geomagnetic storm watch for Saturday as a result of a solar flare that struck on Wednesday.

The northern lights are visible in places like northern Canada, Alaska and the Arctic.

If they do reach parts of the Northeast and Midwest, the best viewing would be in areas away from city lights and in clear, cloudless skies.