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Miss the show? Minnesotans could have another shot at northern lights Friday

KARE 11 Meteorologist John Zeigler said the best views Friday will be in northern Minnesota.

MINNEAPOLIS — What better way to ring in the holiday season than with a festival of northern lights?

KARE 11 viewers looked toward the sky Thursday night, as the aurora borealis danced across our slice of Earth, dazzling as far south as Alexandria and Hinckley. The absolute best views Thursday night, however, were recorded in the northern part of the state, where KARE 11 Meteorologist John Zeigler said an encore is expected Friday.

While the lights peaked Thursday night in Minnesota between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., Zeigler said Friday's spectacle will be most visible between 5 and 8 p.m. and will shift further north.

Unfortunately, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center, Friday's probability of getting a good glimpse is still a bit lower than Thursday. 

So you're telling me there's a chance.

Credit: NOAA

This week's light show comes after several notable displays of the northern lights this year, the last of which wowed onlookers in September. KARE 11 Meteorologist Jamie Kagol explained the phenomenon as a consequence of activity relating to the sun.

"The Sun's solar activity will strengthen this year, so we can look forward to more sunspots, flares and coronal mass ejections which means we are likely to see even more Northern Lights displays going forward," he said. 

Love the chase? NOAA said, as a general rule, the lights become more visible the further north you go, especially when heading away from urban light pollution. 

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