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In Photos: Northern lights put on dazzling display across Canada, U.S.

Watch the video above: A severe solar storm slammed Earth on Monday afternoon, pushing shimmering polar auroras to places where more people can possibly see them.

TORONTO – It was anticipated to be quite the night for the northern lights and it wasn’t a disappointment.

Those who had clear skies were treated to a display of the northern lights, or aurora, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in a very long time.

From Canada to the United States, the sky erupted in a dazzling display of colour — green, red, purple — as particles from the sun ignited Earth’s magnetosphere. The southern lights, or aurora australis, also stretched across the sky.

Aurora light west of Regina, Saskatchewan. Courtesy Notanee Bourassa
The northern lights erupt over Melville, Saskatchewan on the night of June 22-23 2015. Courtesy James Edgar
The northern lights over. Courtesy Richard Gottardo

The sun’s been quite active of late, with a large sunspot unleashing medium-class solar flares and then coronal mass ejections. When these particles are carried along the solar wind, they interact with Earth’s magnetosphere, which result in the colourful display.

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