The northern lights made a surprise appearance over parts of Delaware Tuesday night.

People up and down the state shared photos of the colorful glow lighting up the sky.

CoastTV meteorologists say the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, happen when the Earth’s magnetic field interacts with solar wind. That collision sends charged particles into the atmosphere, creating flashes of light.

Northern lights have recently been seen in the Mid-Atlantic region and were also visible last October. It's rare to see them this far south but does happen occasionally, with some visible at times across southern states as far as Florida.

As of late Tuesday evening, the Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Wednesday, predicting another potential event a

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