Lights, camera, aurora!
New Yorkers were left in awe Thursday night as a breathtaking aurora borealis lit up the night sky over the Big Apple.
“It's been a long time since we've seen a visible aurora over New York” X account new york subway weather wrote in a post that included a photo of vibrant shades of purple and pink visible above a busy city street.
“And it's probably going to be a long time before you can see it again. Go outside and look up!”
In fact, many New Yorkers went outside and looked up at the sky. They weren't alone, as the aurora show was visible over a much wider area of the globe than experts originally expected.
The Northern Lights were also spotted as far south as Washington, DC, and across the pond in the UK.
“Wow, I'm truly speechless!” Alan Nosoff, a New York City-based meteorologist written in all capital letters At X. “Aurora visible to the naked eye #NYC!”
Another city dweller who couldn't contain his excitement simply written: “Ah, ah”
One X Photos submitted by users from New Jersey I saw an overwhelming vision from my backyard and asked, “Why is the Northern Lights literally in my backyard?”
Another X user showed a panoramic view from the shores of Lake Oswego in Fairhaven, New York.
flat Shocking scene in Lewes, Delaware You've created a shot worth posting to 1 X user.
of england Photo shared by the Japan Meteorological Agency It was taken by a meteorologist there from different parts of the island.
everyone To the French Alps I was blessed with a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
The cause of Mother Nature's special effect is a coronal mass ejection (CME) that erupted from the Sun earlier in the day.
The explosion triggered a magnetic storm that had strange effects on Earth's night sky. The severity of the CME determines how visible the aurora is.
meteorologist I wasn't expecting Thursday's storm. May it be as powerful as the results.
The visibility forecast shows the Atlantic coast. NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said early Thursday. The Northern Lights were only expected to be visible from upstate New York, but people in the city will miss out on the best sky peeps.
The CME was apparently strong enough to provide an otherworldly display covering a large area of the Atlantic coast.
Experts say the expanded aurora may remain visible in parts of the world for a few days, but the lights should disappear over New York City by Friday night.
