20 Stunning Photos As Northern Lights Illuminate Skies Of Europe And U.S.

It has been a dazzling spectacle of the aurora borealis, or northern lights, since Friday, May 11, in the night sky of the US, Canada and Europe, high-energy particles from the sun interacting with the Earth's magnetic field to cause dazzling and fascinating geomagnetic storms.

The rare natural phenomenon not seen so widely since 2003 transformed the European and North American skies into vibrant shades of interstellar scarlet, pink, purple, blue and green in an extraordinary spectacle that captivated millions of 'stargazers.

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These extraordinary displays, most pronounced near Earth's magnetic poles, occur when the sun releases large clouds of particles called “coronal mass ejections.” [CMEs]”, or solar storms, which are driven towards the earth.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center, the extreme geomagnetic storm will persist and be visible, weather permitting, at least through Sunday.

The powerful solar flares that led to the rare viewing of the aurora borealis on Friday and Saturday were seen across Europe in Germany, Spain, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and in the US as far south as Alabama, Texas and Southern California.