India, Jan. 3 -- Skywatchers in parts of the United States may get a chance to see the northern lights this week. Increased solar activity has raised the chances of auroras appearing farther south than usual.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center, a burst of solar material from the sun is expected to reach Earth late Jan 2 or early Jan. 3. This solar event, known as a coronal mass ejection, could trigger minor to moderate geomagnetic storms.

Such storms improve the odds of seeing the aurora borealis in the northern US. Still, visibility will depend on cloud cover, darkness and how strong the storm becomes.

Space reported that the latest NOAA forecast places several states nea...