WeatherFanatics: PHOTOS: Dazzling Northern Lights Illuminate Skies From Alaska to the UK

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

PHOTOS: Dazzling Northern Lights Illuminate Skies From Alaska to the UK

By Katy Galimberti, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

September 8,2015; 11:10PM,EDT

See larger image below.

Northern lights glowed across the Northern Hemisphere late Monday night and into Tuesday morning, creating stunning sights for skygazers.
Amid a geomagnetic storm on Monday, conditions were favorable for northern lights. The dazzling display was visible from Alaska to the United Kingdom.
The aurora borealis is caused when charged particles from the sun hit the Earth's atmosphere, ignite a geomagnetic storm and produce a rainbow of colors.
Auroras can take different shapes, often draping like a curtain, but at times the lights can form a swirling pattern.
"Pockets of clear skies across Michigan, the northern tier of the United States and into Manitoba, Canada, allowed several communities the chance to see the lights," AccuWeather Meteorologist Ben Noll said. "Locally clear skies in Alaska also contributed to favorable viewing conditions. High pressure centered over the United Kingdom led to optimal viewing conditions."
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TIMELAPSE: Stunning Views of the Northern Lights From Space

Astronaut Scott Kelly capture the northern lights from the International Space Station. (Twitter Photo/Scott Kelly)

The northern lights danced across the globe and Astronaut Scott Kelly captured the event from space. (Twitter Photo/Scott Kelly)

An aurora cast a green glow across the sky in Marquette, Wis., on Monday night. (Twitter Photo/NWS Marquette)

Green light washed over Denali National Park in Alaska late Monday night into early Tuesday morning. (Photo/Andrea Willingham/Denali National Park and Preserve)