Photos: Northern Lights seen again in North Georgia because of magnetic storm

ATLANTA - For the second time this year, the Northern Lights were visible last night in the skies over North Georgia.

This rare sighting in the region was due to a G4 geomagnetic storm that reached Earth, triggered by a coronal mass ejection from the sun a few days ago. When the energy from such events interacts with Earth's magnetic field, it can disrupt the field and create conditions that allow auroras to be seen at lower latitudes.

The Northern Lights should be visible again for a swath of states in the northern U.S. on Friday night, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The KP range for tonight is 5 and the range is 3 for Saturday night. The viewing line is forecast to reach as low as the northern edge of Iowa for Friday night.

NOAA says viewers have a better chance to see the lights from a high vantage point like a hill and the optimal time to see the Aurora Borelis is between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. in areas with little or no light pollution.

Smartphones can pick up the aurora even if the naked eye can't see it. Turn on the night mode to increase your smartphone's camera exposure. 

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are natural light displays predominantly seen in high-latitude regions near the Arctic and Antarctic. These stunning, colorful lights appear in the sky when charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth's atmosphere. The phenomenon is caused by interactions between solar wind—a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun—and Earth's magnetic field.

When these particles enter Earth's atmosphere, they collide with gases like oxygen and nitrogen, which then emit light. The colors of the aurora vary depending on the type of gas involved and the altitude of the collision:

• Green is the most common and is caused by oxygen atoms about 60 miles above Earth.
• Red auroras occur at higher altitudes and are also due to oxygen.
• Blue and purple hues are the result of nitrogen collisions.

The lights often appear as shimmering curtains, arcs, or rays, dancing across the night sky in dynamic, ever-changing patterns. While they are most commonly observed near the magnetic poles, strong solar storms can cause auroras to be visible much farther away.