OTHELLO – For three nights in a row, night owls have had opportunities to see the Northern Lights dance over the Columbia Basin. The sometimes naked-eye-visible lights are the effect of interaction between Earth’s atmosphere and particles released from the sun in a large coronal mass ejection earlier this week.

For the best chance of seeing the aurora, head to a dark place away from city lights. A camera, even a modern phone camera, will have the best chance at revealing the dancing colors. You can monitor solar activity on websites like SpaceWeatherLive.

Activity is expected to subside through the rest of this week. Another show is possible closer to the weekend as a result of another solar outburst.