Photos: Solar flare makes aurora borealis visible across the globe

Silhouette of photographer with a camera and a tripod captures the Northern Lights. Northern lights appearance in the night sky from rare, geomagnetic solar storm phenomenon. Aurora borealis illumination visible in purple and green color bands from the Dutch countryside. Winterle, Netherlands on May 11, 2024 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

A massive solar storm hit the United States and the rest of the globe Friday evening, becoming the biggest in decades.

The intensity of the solar storm painted the night skies in different colors — such as pinks, purples, and greens.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported late Friday that the solar storm would occur over a few hours and days, causing a flare of lights to bloom across the Earth.

“We anticipate that we’re going to get one shock after another, so we’re really buckling down here,” Brent Gordon, chief of the Space Weather Services branch of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said.

The rare solar storm can be seen in photos, capturing the night sky with hues of colors.

CALIFORNIA, USA – MAY 11: Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) illuminate the sky of San Francisco North Bay as seen from China Camp Beach in San Rafael, California, United States on May 11, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
CALIFORNIA, USA – MAY 11: Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) illuminate the sky of San Francisco North Bay as seen from China Camp Beach in San Rafael, California, United States on May 11, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
11 May 2024, Kochel: Northern lights sparkle in the night sky over Lake Kochel in Bavaria. Photo: Matthias Balk/dpa (Photo by Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)
MOUNT MITCHELL, UNITED STATES – MAY 10: Unusual sun activity created a G5 Geostorm on Earth sparks northern lights (Aurora Borealis) in Mount Mitchell, North Carolina, United States on May 10, 2024. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
MOUNT MITCHELL, UNITED STATES – MAY 10: Unusual sun activity created a G5 Geostorm on Earth sparks northern lights (Aurora Borealis) in Mount Mitchell, North Carolina, United States on May 10, 2024. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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