Northern lights may be visible in these 18 US states tonight

A potent cannibal solar storm has hit Earth and could put on a spectacular northern lights display across the U.S tonight. A fast-moving coronal mass ejection (CME), launched by a long-duration M2.7 flare from sunspot AR 4199 on Aug. 30, slammed into Earth's magnetic field around 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) on Sept. 1, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). The CME is likely to spark a G2 (moderate) to G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm, with a chance of reaching G4 (severe) levels, according to NOAA and the U.K. Met Office. That means auroras could extend much farther south...