The Northern Lights stream in a “candy-ribbon pattern” over the Great Lakes

Satellite images show that the northern lights streamed in a “candy-ribbon pattern” over the Great Lakes last night.

Pictures were subscriber on social media by the Collaborative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“The Northern Lights flowed in a candy-ribbon pattern overnight,” CIMSS said. “The waning moon (80%) illuminates the cloud tops below for these stunning night scenes.”

Related: The splendor of the northern lights was visible from the International Space Station

The aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights in general, are known for their green and purple colors. The bright, rippling lights are collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun and Earth’s atmosphere.

The aurorae are usually visible near Earth’s poles because the planet’s magnetosphere is weaker. However, in the past month, the lights have been seen as far south as Virginia and Arizona.

Related: Visible across the lower Michigan sky, the northern lights can be seen with the naked eye

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