People in at least 17 states may have a chance this week to glimpse the northern lights, which are typically seen in Earth’s northernmost regions.

       The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks forecasts high auroral activity on Thursday in Midwestern states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

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       The aurora will be visible “low on the horizon” across Chicago, with the city light pollution making it harder to spot.

       What are the northern lights? The colorful spectacle occurs when particles from the sun collide with gas molecules in Earth’s atmosphere. Thursday’s high auroral forecast is because of a solar storm, when there’s more particle activity, according to the Geophysical Institute.