The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are seen in the sky across Whitby Harbour, Whitby, UK, on Oct. 10.
On Thursday, the northern lights — also known as the aurora borealis — illuminated vast expanses of Europe and the United States.
The rare and fleeting appearance brought many to a standstill, evoking a moment of awe and wonder in seasoned aurora chasers and novice stargazers alike.
Some kept their eyes peeled all night at the evening sky. While others were delightfully surprised by the sudden splashes of red, green and purple hues shimmering above them.
The dazzling display of color was the result of a powerful solar storm that slammed into Earth. People typically travel to Alaska, Iceland and other regions within the Arctic Circle to witness the celestial phenomenon. But the geomagnetic storm triggered the aurora to light up night skies father out. It's the second time a severe solar storm crashed into Earth this year, the first being in May.
The light show was expected to be visible as far south as Alabama and northern California, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But some reported seeing the aurora as far south as Texas, Arizona, as well as in Australia.
And sky-watchers who missed the show may have another chance to see the lights — experts say they could pop out again during the weekend.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Axel Heimken / AFP/Getty Images
/
AFP/Getty Images
Northern lights are seen over the Baltic Sea close to Kiel, northern Germany, on Oct. 10.
Charles Krupa / AP
/
AP
An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, glows red in the sky on Oct. 10 in East Derry, N.H.
Jim Dyson / Getty Images
/
Getty Images
The aurora borealis lights up the night sky over Pitstone Windmill in Buckinghamshire on Oct.10, in Pitstone, UK.
Jonah Lawless / AP
/
AP
The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are seen on display in the skies over Dublin on Oct. 10.
Jeff McIntosh / AP
/
AP
An aurora borealis makes an appearance over pumpjacks as they draw out oil and gas from well heads near Cremona, Alberta, Canada, on Oct. 10.
Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images
/
AFP/Getty Images
The northern lights, produced by a solar geomagnetic storm, are seen from Shenandoah National Park in Rileyville, Virginia, on Oct. 10.
Jen Golbeck / Sipa USA/AP
/
Sipa USA/AP
Auroras are seen in Sugarloaf Key, Florida, in the early morning hours of Oct. 11.
Lorena Sopêna / Europa Press/AP
/
Europa Press/AP
An aurora borealis is seen from the Pujalt astronomical observatory on Oct. 10 in Pujalt, Barcelona, Spain.
Ross Harried / NurPhoto/AP
/
NurPhoto/AP
The night sky in Wisconsin glows with the northern lights as a geomagnetic storm brings vibrant pink and green colors to a majority of the northern states, and beyond.
Yauhen Yerchak / Sipa USA/AP
/
Sipa USA/AP
Northern lights shine in the night sky above Trakai castle, about 18 miles from Vilnius, Lithuania, on Oct. 10.
Gareth Fuller / AP
/
AP
Northern lights on display in the skies over Great Chart Church, Ashford, Kent, England, on Oct. 10.
Patrick Pleul / AP
/
AP
Northern lights glow in the night sky above a road in eastern Brandenburg, Germany.
Owen Humphreys / AP
/
AP
The aurora borealis is seen in an incredible display in the skies above the causeway leading to Holy Island in Northumberland, England, in the early hours or Friday morning.
David McNew / Getty Images
/
Getty Images
The Milky Way and northern lights are seen together as the aurora makes a rare appearance in the early morning hours of Oct. 8, southwest of Mammoth Lakes, California.
Juliana Kim is a weekend reporter for Digital News, where she adds context to the news of the day and brings her enterprise skills to NPR's signature journalism.
The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.
If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.
Now all of that is at risk.
Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.
Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.
Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.
SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.
SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.
The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.
If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.
Now all of that is at risk.
Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.
Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.
Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.
An experimental technique that patches defective DNA with donated genetic material helped families at risk of passing rare illnesses to their children.
President Trump said it was "highly unlikely" he would fire Jerome Powell, but also said he discussed the idea with Republican lawmakers who expressed support.
James Craig is accused of fatally poisoning his wife of 23 years and trying to cover his tracks by asking his cellmate to kill the lead investigator. Here's what to know as his Colorado trial starts.
