Northern lights might be visible in Michigan on Friday, through the weekend

Some prefer a poetic description of the northern lights, ribbons of colorful light dancing across a dark night’s sky, while others, a scientific one, geomagnetic storms generated by coronal mass ejections from the sun.

But either way, according to space forecasters, if you are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time with the right viewing conditions, you just might be able to look up and see them Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

"There may be a window in Michigan where you have a chance to see them," said Sara Schultz with the National Weather Service in White Lake Township. "The big thing is, near the city of Detroit, there is light pollution."

There also, she added, is the chance of cloud cover and rain.

"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," a Thursday report from USA TODAY said. The Free Press is part of the USA TODAY network.

The lights, the report added, are the "benign result of solar activity," but solar storms also can "disrupt some radio communications, harm satellites and even knock out power systems."

See the photos: Northern lights flash, flicker across Michigan skies in 2023

Space and weather forecasters warn that it’s difficult to predict when and where the lights are visible, so even with the best chances and plans to see them, you might not.

More: 10 best spots for stargazing in Michigan: Dark sky parks, sanctuary locations

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center has said the lights might be visible as far south as Alabama and northern California.

In Michigan, your chances of seeing the phenomenon go up, weather experts said, in a place like the Upper Peninsula. There aren’t as many city lights, and if the sky is clear, you'll have a better chance to see them.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Northern lights may be visible in Michigan: When to look