Northern lights may show up in parts of Canada tonight. Who has the best seat?
Look up tonight, Canada! It may be possible to see the auroras dance across your mid-July night sky.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), a G2-magnitude, or moderate, storm is possible from Tuesday overnight to the pre-dawn hours on Wednesday, July 23.
That strength gives most Canadians a shot at spotting them.
SEE ALSO: Show or no show? Canada has some 'wild cards' for northern lights display
The northern lights can be highly variable and sporadic as the charged particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field and the upper atmosphere.
The disruption to Earth’s magnetic field is caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) off the sun's surface, which contain charged particles that move at thousands of kilometres per second toward our planet.
Tuesday night's event may reach a 6 on the K-index, which ranges from 0 to 9 and features higher numbers correlating to conditions that may allow auroras to dip farther south in latitude.
Who will get a front-row seat for the northern lights?
There will be multiple factors in Canada for a possible aurora show, but if it comes to fruition will depend on where you are in the country.
The best viewing chances in Eastern Canada appear to be in northeastern Ontario, much of eastern Quebec and Labrador, where a mostly cloud-free night is forecast. Some locales in southern Ontario, well away from city light pollution, may be able to spot them, too.
That means cottage country, the Algonquin area and Lake Huron shores, we’re looking at you.
Meanwhile in Western Canada, the best viewing may be over Edmonton to Calgary, Alta., and up to Fort McMurray. A cloud-free, but very chilly night, maybe even frost for some areas along the foothills in Alberta. You may need to wear some extra layers.
Regions in Yellowknife, N.W.T., and south, as well as northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, also have a pretty good chance. However, wildfire smoke in the region could work against you, obscuring the view of the sky.
No major disruptions to satellite and communication systems or power grids are expected, but it could lead to some issues, which are mitigable, including more frequent and longer periods of degradation of global positioning system (GPS) degradation.
WATCH: Can you see the northern lights better through a camera?
With files from Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, and Nathan Howes, a digital journalist at The Weather Network.