This is where and when you can see the northern lights in southern Arizona

Some parts of southern Arizona will be able to see the northern lights tonight, according to the chief scientist at the University of Arizona's Space Institute.

KGUN9 has received numerous photos of the northern lights from viewers across the region, including images from Tanque Verde, Safford, and Mount Lemmon.

"The Northern Lights are a consequence of the fact that just like Earth, our sun has a magnetic field," said Walter Harris, chief scientist at the University of Arizona Space Institute.

Harris explained that the sun's magnetic field becomes twisted over time in roughly 11-year cycles.

"When that happens you get phenomena like sunspots and solar flares and mass ejections," Harris said.

These phenomena produce plasma that hits Earth's magnetic field, he said.

"Some of the charg