PORTLAND, Ore. — People across Oregon and Washington saw a colorful light show on Thursday as the Northern Lights lit up the night sky.
The aurora borealis was visible in much of the Pacific Northwest amid a powerful geomagnetic storm.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday going into Friday. The unusually strong solar storm produced lights that were visible further south than normal.
Dozens of KGW viewers shared their colorful photos from all over the region, including in Astoria, Salem, Prineville, in parts of Washington and further north in Alberta, Canada.
PHOTOS: Northern Lights over the Pacific Northwest
A fast coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun was detected earlier this week and arrived to the Earth on Thursday, Oct. 10, producing a geomagnetic storm. Such a storm increases the chances of seeing the aurora borealis. When the material collides with atoms and molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere, the particles can appear to glow pink, purple, blue, green and yellow.
Solar activity increases and decreases in a cycle of about 11 years. The sun currently appears to be at its peak of that cycle, making solar storms and the Northern Lights visible more frequently. Some Oregonians were able to see the phenomenon Monday night as well, and stretching back into August.
A geomagnetic storm watch remains in effect on Thursday and Friday. However, the storm is predicted to be fairly mild. People in Washington may have a chance to see the lights again Friday night, but chances are slim if you're located south of the state, according to NOAA's aurora forecast.