TAMPA, Fla. — Some residents around Florida were able to get a rare glimpse of the Northern Lights on Friday night.
Photos shared on social media from around the country showed the pink and purple sky but were even seen by residents all over the state.
Usually, people can view the displays in states near the Canadian border but the event last night reached down south to states like Texas and Alabama, in addition to Florida.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a "severe geomagnetic storm" warning in the afternoon when a solar outburst reached Earth. The agency said that extreme conditions were seen just before 7 p.m., and it was categorized as the most severe level of geomagnetic storms. The last time a storm of this magnitude was seen was in 2003.
During the last extreme event, transformers were damaged in South Africa and Sweden experienced power outages.
A large, complex sunspot cluster that formed when two sunspots merged spit out solar flares, which caused outbursts of plasma. Those outbursts are called coronal mass ejections.
When those ejections reach Earth, they cause increased geomagnetic activity. The solar wind and storm activity produces the aurora borealis, which is also known as the Northern Lights.
The sun has been producing strong solar flares since Wednesday causing the ejections. The sunspot causing them is 17 times the diameter of Earth.
If you missed the sighting on Friday night, there's still a chance to see it on Saturday. Conditions are back to a level 4 rather than 5 on Saturday but the effects can last throughout the weekend.
Typically between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. is the best time to view the spectacle.