Take a look up at the sky this weekend, Iowa. You may see the ...

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Northern Lights spectacle: The science behind the aurora borealis

Ever wonder how the northern lights occur? Unique solar events occasionally allow northern U.S. states to view the aurora borealis.

You may want to look up in the sky this weekend, Iowans.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts the potential for a severe geomagnetic storm beginning Friday evening.

When a coronal mass ejection, or an eruption of solar material, reaches Earth, a geomagnetic storm can occur, according to the prediction center.

Geomagnetic storm levels could continue Saturday evening, and possibly Saturday overnight, said Shawn Dahl, a service coordinator with the prediction center in an email to the Register.

Among the impacts of this storm is that an aurora borealis, often referred to as the northern lights, may be visible for people across America.

Here’s what to know so you don’t miss out on a striking display of lights in the sky.

What are the northern lights forecast in Iowa?

Iowans can expect to see the northern lights this weekend, Dahl said.

The geomagnetic storm has the potential to be considered a G4 on NOAA’s Space Weather Scales, considered severe, beginning Friday evening and into Saturday, according to Dahl.

A G4, according to the scale of 1-5, means an aurora can be seen “as low as Alabama and northern California.”

Friday night will have a stronger possibility of seeing the aurora in Iowa, according to an updated forecast posted Friday morning by the Space Weather Prediction Center.

How can I see the northern lights in Iowa?

To see the northern lights, you’ll need clear skies.

Friday night could see rain in the early evening in central Iowa before turning mostly clear around 7 p.m. For eastern Iowa, rain could stick around through about 10 p.m.

In Des Moines, Ames and Iowa City, Saturday night is expected to be “mostly clear,” according to the National Weather Service as of Friday morning.

To increase your chances of seeing the aurora, you should travel to areas where there is less light pollution, Dahl said.

Historically, the best time to see the lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

You may want to bring your phone with you when you step out to view the aurora. The camera on your device is sensitive and can pick up the lights better than your eye, USA TODAY reported.

What is a geomagnetic storm?

A geomagnetic storm is “a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere,” according to the prediction center.

Earth’s magnetosphere protects our planet from solar and cosmic particle radiation and erosion of our atmosphere by solar wind, according to NASA.

The storm occurs due to a “very efficient exchange” of energy from solar wind — “the constant flow of charged particles streaming off the sun,” says NASA — into the space environment surrounding Earth, according to the prediction center.

A severe geomagnetic storm can cause problems for power systems, spacecraft operations and more.

Visit swpc.noaa.gov for updates on the geomagnetic storm.

What are the northern lights?

The word aurora refers to the light produced when electrons from space, traveling down Earth's magnetic field, collide with atoms and molecules of the upper atmosphere, according to the prediction center.

The colorful aurora forms when particles flowing from the sun get caught up in Earth's magnetic field. The particles interact with molecules of atmospheric gases to cause the famed glowing green and reddish colors of the aurora.

USA TODAY reporter Doyle Rice contributed to this report.

Paris Barraza is a trending and general assignment reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.