Aurora alert! Several coronal mass ejections are racing toward Earth and could spark impressive northern lights this week

A person stands on a beach with their arms outstretched to the side and the northern lights dance in the sky in front of them, in ribbons of green light.

A train of solar storms is barreling toward Earth, with three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) expected to hit in the coming days. Any potential impact could trigger impressive auroras in northern skies and possibly even at mid-latitudes.

Multiple CMEs launched from sunspot region AR4246 between Oct. 11 and 13 are forecast to reach Earth between Oct. 15 and 17, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.