After an intense solar flare, residents in northern U.S. states may get the rare chance to view the northern lights under clear skies, and capture the event on camera.

Dark sky destinations perfect for seeing the Northern Lights includes an an International Dark Sky Place (U.S./worldwide), a Dark-Sky Preserve (Canada) or a Starlight Reserve (Spain). Or just look at a light pollution map because anywhere with a dark northern horizon will potentially give you a good view.

NASA explain: "Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth’s atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground. However — when intense enough — they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS & communications signals travel."