INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Vibrant purples and greens danced above the earth shortly before sunrise in South Dakota Sunday morning.
The sky spectacle comes courtesy of a solar flare.
It released a wave of charged particles, known as a coronal mass ejection.
When those particles get caught up in the earth's magnetic field, they interact with molecules of atmospheric gases to light up the sky in bright colors.
The sky show continues tonight.
People living in Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, northern Illinois, Michigan, northern New York state and much of New England have the best chance of seeing the northern lights as long as you're away from city lights.
Aurora Borealis on display tonight
People living in northern Illinois and Michigan have the best chance of seeing the northern lights later tonight.
