Chicago-area residents could see Northern Lights due to geomagnetic storms

A huge geomagnetic storm could enable Northern Lights visibility across extensive regions of Northern United States. This fascinating natural phenomenon is expected due to an increase in solar activity that leads to coronal mass ejections. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center anticipates a G3 geomagnetic storm watch to be effective until Tuesday with another storm watch for Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Scientists predict the strongest of these coronal mass ejections to affect Earth late Monday night and into Tuesday morning. However, the weather conditions in the Chicago area might obscure the visibility of the Northern Lights due to cloud cover or rain. The 2022 New Year's nature spectacle might be particularly extraordinary as the sun is currently hitting the “maximum phase” of its 11-year solar cycle, bringing about more sunspots and increased solar activity, a phase that may last up to a year, as per NASA. This snapshot of the news, along with the possible impacts and side details, has been analyzed, interpreted, and reviewed by AI for a comprehensive understanding of the situation.