Did you know that Northern Lights are when the Earth’s magnetic field interacts with charged particles from the Sun? Well, these colorful auras of light appeared last week in New Jersey and made quite an appearance to those who viewed these magnificent hues.

The Northern Lights are most visible right before sunset or right after sunrise and are not visible during the day. Sometimes, the Northern Lights aren’t even visible to the naked eye, so you have to use a phone camera or another device to see them. The best places to see northern (or southern) lights are near the poles of the earth, such as Greenland or Argentina.

After Thursday night, people wondered, “will these beautiful rays of light appear again?” 

“The lights were so vibrant, with many different colors,” said Manville resident Savanah in her Instagram post. “It was the most unexpected view, I wish I could see more of it,” Jessica, another Manville resident, stated.

Well, the answer was unclear, for the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) would have less intensity in North America and would appear back higher up north. Common colors of the northern lights are usually swirling rivers of green and blue- sometimes pink and purple. The auroras constantly change shape in the sky, due to the charged particles flowing through the earth’s magnetic field.

For thousands of years, people have made theories about the beautiful auroras that rarely light up in the night sky. At some point, they even believed it was a sign of doom. This was until a Norwegian scientist, Kristian Birkeland, brought up the connection between the Earth and the Sun, and how it connected to the sweet colors in the sky.

Another interesting fact about the northern lights is that people say they often not only see the beautiful colors, but they can hear noises coming from the rays of light. Some say it sounds more like a crackling sound, while others hear the lights hissing. Overall, the Northern Lights are a beautiful creation from both the Sun and the Earth, and those who saw them on Thursday were lucky enough to experience the beauty of the auroras in the sky.