NOAA issued a severe geomagnetic storm alert on Wednesday after an outburst from the sun was detected earlier in the week. Here’s why they were visible in many parts of the U.S.

The northern lights returned to skies across the U.S. and the world over Thursday night after a powerful solar storm triggered stunning celestial displays also known as aurora borealis. The big picture: Extreme G4 geomagnetic conditions were observed Thursday and remained overnight,

The aurora borealis did not disappoint on Thursday night, with stargazers reporting seeing the stunning light show from across the U.S. — as far south as Texas and Florida — and Europe.