PHOTOS: Rare northern lights visible in skies across parts of country

There was an amazing view for skygazers Thursday night into Friday morning, as brilliant and bright colors from the northern lights were visible across the country.

Photographers are sharing photos of the vibrant colors in the night sky.

The aurora borealis lights, also known as northern lights, are mostly yellow-green with areas of red, purple, and white.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the auroras are geomagnetic storms, created when energy and particles from the sun disturb the Earth’s magnetosphere. The colors of an aurora are determined by the altitude and type of molecule that is excited. Excited oxygen molecules typically glow red above 120 miles, and green glows occur between 75 and 110 miles.

The aurora borealis is usually only found within the arctic circle.

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said they registered a severe disturbance in the Earth's magnetic field Thursday night into Friday after observing some instability in the Sun's atmosphere.