Northern Lights thrill locals

Considered to be a bucket list event in the lower-48, Aurora Borealis has dazzled people since the dawn of humanity.

Each year, more than 300,000 people travel to Alaska to see Aurora Borealis, which is known more commonly as the Northern Lights. While the light show it produces is common in Alaska and Canada, rarely is there an opportunity to see Aurora Borealis outside of the Arctic.

But last weekend, locals in Gilliam, Wheeler, and Sherman County got a very rare treat – as the phenomenon lit up the sky with purples, pinks, and greens. Social media was abuzz and while it was visible as far south as Alabama, the lights were most vibrant in dark sky areas with little light pollution.

Caused by energized particles from the sun, slamming into the Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of 45 million miles per hour – the lights appear to dance and strobe through the night sky.

For those who stayed up a little late, the lights were visible to the naked eye beginning at 10:00 PM on Friday May 10 until 2 AM on Saturday. Surprisingly, the lights returned on Saturday night for an encore performance.

Initially, the lights appeared to be a cloudy formation with light coloring but that soon gave way to bursts of color. For those who stayed up late into the night, the show continued to get better and better.