India, Sept. 22 -- Stargazers are in for a rare treat. According to People, the northern lights could make a big appearance this week, lining up almost perfectly with the autumnal equinox. Forecasters at NOAA say minor geomagnetic storms are expected from September 21 through 23, creating a chance for auroras to dip much farther south than usual.

The aurora borealis happens when solar particles slam into Earth's atmosphere and trigger glowing sheets of color. Most of the time, you need to be well into the Arctic Circle to see them clearly. But during storms like these, the light show can spill into states like Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and even Illinois. Northern Europe could see faint glows as well.

The timing couldn't be more ...