TThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that a solar storm hit Earth on Thursday, bringing beautiful displays of the northern lights to dark skies farther south than normal.
The timing of the storm provided a particularly spectacular show for Europe but lasted long enough to be seen in North America, including Adams County.
The lights showed pink, orange. and green in the nothern skies after sunset but had dissipated by 11 pm.
The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are a natural light show that occurs when energized particles from the sun collide with Earth’s upper atmosphere.
The storm was classified “severe” (ranked 4 out of 5 in severity) as of Thursday afternoon, according to NOAA.
Featured Image: Northern Lights as seen in the Wenksville section of Menallen Township [Coleen Berry].