Stunning photos and videos of Wednesday night's auroras
Thursday, October 8, 2015, 7:36 PM - Northern lights danced across the sky Wednesday night, putting on a spectacular show in non-cloudy areas.
On September 12 solar wind set off a auroras that were seen in many regions across Canada.
That same streamer swept past Earth again, touching off a moderate geomagnetic storm earlier than originally expected.
"The storm, along with the accompanying auroral display, spread across most of Canada early Wednesday morning rather than waiting until Wednesday evening," writes Scott Sutherland, a science writer at The Weather Network.
The lights were seen in parts of Canada, as well as in Europe and Australia.
WHAT CAUSES THE NORTHERN LIGHTS?
Northern lights -- or aurora borealis -- occur when solar particles collide with the Earth's atmosphere. Their colour variety results from the presence of different types of gas particles, and the colour of an aurora is dependent on the wavelength of light that's emitted.
Two of the most common elements in the Earth's atmosphere -- oxygen and nitrogen -- create different types of northern lights.
Oxygen is responsible for green and yellowish-green auroras.
Blue, purple and reddish purple auroras are rare in comparison. They're created with the help of nitrogen.
Social media lit up with stunning photos of the recent light display.
Parts of Ontario, Quebec and the Prairies were able to get a good view of the light show, thanks to clear conditions.