Trio of massive solar flares this week could produce Northern Lights across the US — here’s where to see them

Here comes the Sun.

A trio of intense solar flares burst forth from the Sun this week, knocking out power and raising the possibility of a Northern Lights show in several states later this week.

Originating from the unstable Earth-oriented sunspot region 4455, the sunbursts all occurred within 24 hours, Space.com reported.

The sun emitted a trio of solar flares, including an X-class sunburst — the strongest variety. NASA

They entailed an M9.3 solar flare that peaked at 9:36 p.m. EST on June 2, an M7.9 flare at 3 a.m. EST, and an X1 at 7:28 a.m. — the most powerful variety of solar flare.

This trio of eruptions caused radio blackouts across Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia.

“Region 4455 strikes again!” declared space weather physicist Tamitha Skov on X following the M9.3 eruption. “Region 4455 continues to grow in complexity, so X-flare risk will remain elevated over the next 72 hours at least.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that these phenomena unleashed multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — bursts of plasma and magnetic particles from the sun — that they predict will arrive on our planet from mid-to-late day on June 4 to June 5. Before touching down, some may merge into what’s known as a “Cannibal CME.”

NOAA has subsequently issued a level 3 out of 5 Geomagnetic Storm Watch, which, if correct, means that auroras could light up the sky as far south as Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York.

If the G3 forecast is correct, the auroras could be visible as far south as Oregon and Illinois. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center

Spring is not the best time for viewing the Northern Lights due to later sunsets and shorter windows of darkness, according to Accuweather.

However, stargazers can optimize their chances of spotting this magnetic rainbow by heading to a dark spot away from city lights and looking north.

If you want to capture the moment, using the “night mode” on your smartphone should be enough to snap some quality photos.

“In general, if you can go to a dark sky that is the best place to see them, and if you can get a deep exposure on a camera (for a long amount of time) you’ll see them better,” Michigan State University astronomy professor Darryl Seligman previously told The Post. “You can do amazingly well taking pictures with an iPhone or Android because the cameras in those are so powerful now.”

He added, “You can set most modern phone cameras to a long exposure and that will reveal auroral features not easily seen by eye.”

Unfortunately, the exact timing and magnitude of the storm could shift, so it’s best to refer to real-time forecasts based on one’s location.

Space experts recommend “My Aurora Forecast & Alerts” available for iOS and Android.