PHOTOS: Brilliant Auroras Shine in the Night Sky of Both Hemispheres

By Chyna Glenn, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

November 4,2015; 10:34PM,EST

 

 

A rare and stunning display of aurora borealis, also know as the northern lights, delighted onlookers across Canada and northern locations of the United States early this week.
However, the dazzling displays were not limited to the Northern Hemisphere. Onlookers in the Southern Hemisphere caught a glimpse of the southern lights, which are known as the aurora australis.
These lights are the result of a spray of charged particles from the sun interacting with the Earth's magnetic field.

TIMELAPSE: Aurora Borealis Dazzles Michigan Sky

Brilliant shades of green, blue, pink, violet and yellow lit up the skies during the overnight and pre-dawn hours of Nov. 3 and 4.
RELATED:
AccuWeather Astronomy Blog
SPECTACULAR: Northern Lights Dance Through Nebraska Sky
Your Guide to Sky-gazing This Fall
Long exposure of the aurora, jets, meteors over Madrid, Iowa, on Nov. 3. (Twitter Photo/@madridiowawx)
A photo of the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights. (Photo/Randal Smith)
Late-night aurora seen outside of Forres, Scotland. (Twitter Photo/@ChrissCharless)
Bright green lights pictured just north of Red Deer, Alberta. (Photo/Christian Hering-Junghans)

Southern Lights Shine Green, Purple in Tasmania

The aurora glowing over Howes Lake in Grayling, Michigan. (Photo/Dustin Godspeed Art & Photography)
The Aurora Borealis from the Catskill Mountains of New York. (Photo/Nicholas Isabella Photography)
The aurora as seen in Scotland. (Photo/Twitter User @Sarah_Takahashi)
A view of the Northern Lights from Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo/Twitter User @pritchett_jay)
This aurora event was just one of the season. Another notable event occurred during October 2015.