Northern lights could brighten night sky in Wisconsin on Sunday

With a little bit of luck and the right conditions, folks in Wisconsin could get a peek at the aurora borealis Sunday night.

The best time to see the northern lights in Wisconsin should be between 10 p.m. Sunday and 1 a.m. Monday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's radar. 

The illuminated sky is the result of a solar flare that erupted out of a sunspot late Thursday into early Friday. The flare released a wave of charged particles that take a few days to reach Earth. The northern lights form when those sun particles meet the Earth's magnetic field. The particles interact with molecules of atmospheric gases to create the famed glowing red and green colors.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a geomagnetic storm watch Friday and expects a "moderate" storm, a 2 out of 5 on its severity scale.

City dwellers might not have great luck seeing the aurora borealis.

To really increase the chance of seeing the lights, Bob Bonadurer, director of the Milwaukee Public Museum's Daniel M. Soref Planetarium, recommends getting far away from streetlights since dark skies are a key piece of getting the best glimpse.

And although parts of Wisconsin might be considered "up north," that doesn't necessarily mean the northern lights are easy to spot.

"We’re a northern state, but remember Milwaukee is closer to the equator than the North Pole," Bonadurer said. 

For a good place to view the lights in the Milwaukee area, Bonadurer recommends Harrington Beach State Park, a 38-minute drive from the city. The further north, the better the view, he said.

“It's really a patient game, and there’s no guarantee," he said. 

Still, catching a view of the lights is a worthwhile endeavor for those who are willing to take a chance and wait.

“It is extremely breathtaking," he said. "It really is an amazing sight." 

RELATED:Aurora borealis possible Sunday night across northern U.S., Canada

Fortunately, Sunday's cloudy skies are expected to clear. By midnight, skies should be clear with just a few clouds. During that time, temperatures will be around 60 degrees, said Sarah Marquardt, a meteorologist with National Weather Service based in Sullivan.

Folks looking for an earlier outdoor spectacle might want to take a peek at Sunday's sunset, Marquardt said. Winds are bringing in smoke from wildfires in southern Canada. That smoke creates milky-hued skies, making for a vivid sunset. 

The northern lights sky display should also be visible in Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, northern Illinois, Michigan, northern New York and most of New England, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.

Doyle Rice of USA Today contributed to this report.