a purple sky with trees — Northern lights near Ruffner Mountain (Photo courtesy of Viktoria Havasi)

Alabamians were treated to a spectacular show on Thursday night when a geomagnetic storm created an aurora borealis that lit up the night sky. Also commonly referred to as the “northern lights”, the aurora borealis is typically visible only in the northernmost reaches of the US but Thursday’s event provided a rare glimpse at the atmospheric phenomenon in the Deep South.

Sadly, while the National Weather Service forecasts clear skies for Friday night, the aurora appears to have been a one-night event in Alabama. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors atmospheric phenomena like the aurora, forecasts that the phenomenon will likely only be visible in the Midwest on Friday night.

Check out some of the amazing photos captures by Alabamians on Thursday night.

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