NASA is launching rockets into the Northern Lights from Alaska to investigate why auroras have distinct movements such as flickering and pulsating.

The stunning northern lights should continue well into the weekend and may reach down into the middle parts of the US.

The sun is at the peak of its 11-year cycle. That means an uptick in solar flares will lead to more chances to see the northern lights over the next couple of years.

A coronal mass ejection earlier this week may pull the northern lights to more northern U.S. states, forecasters said.