Northern lights or aurora borealis illuminate the night sky over Vienna during a geomagnetic storm
The northern lights made a stunning appearance across the world on Friday after the most powerful solar storm in more than two decades struck Earth.
The colourful display, also known as the aurora borealis, was seen in most parts of Europe.
The northern lights also illuminated the night sky over some parts of the US, Canada, and Australia.
People stop along a country road near London, Ontario to watch the Northern lights
Photo Credit: AFP
Northern lights during a solar storm over the National Monument of Scotland in Edinburgh
Photo Credit: AFP
These spectacular celestial light shows were attributed to an "extreme" geomagnetic storm that struck Earth on Friday.
Northern lights seen over Ohio during a geomagnetic storm
Photo Credit: AFP
Authorities had also notified satellite operators, airlines and the power grid to take precautionary steps for potential disruptions caused by changes to Earth's magnetic field.
Social media was also lit up with many users posting their pictures of auroras.
A user posted a picture of herself and her cat watching the beautiful view.
“I can't believe I now have a pic of me and my cat admiring the northern lights in my own garden???” she wrote.
A user from Tuscany, Italy, called it an “unbelievable moment.”
Another user, from the North West of France, posted a thread of images and said that this was the "most insane" thing she had ever seen in her life.
According to another post, the Northern Lights were visible across Russia, particularly in the Moscow region, as well as in Saratov and Voronezh, and extending into southern Siberia.
“Colour me stunned,” read a caption of someone who posted a video clip of the phenomenon.
Another observer said it was “rare to see pink in the northern lights” and claimed that those who saw this beautiful view were “very, very lucky.”
Someone else posted a couple pictures, writing, “I'm actually in tears I thought I'd never get to see the northern lights.”
A user from North Georgia joined in, sharing stunning pictures of the aurora borealis.
The northern lights are usually visible in regions located closer to the Earth's magnetic poles like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Alaska.