The timing of the storm should provide a great show for Europe, but those in North America could also see the dazzling lights if the storm persists into nighttime.

A solar storm struck Earth on Thursday, treating skywatchers to spectacular displays of the northern lights far beyond their usual range. The storm, classified as “severe” by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

The sun sends more than heat and light to Earth — it sends energy and charged particles known as the solar wind. But sometimes that solar wind becomes a storm. The sun's outer atmosphere occasionally "burps" out huge bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections. They produce solar storms, also known as geomagnetic storms, according to NOAA.