Photos: Northern Lights visible in parts of Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Aurora Borealis, also known as the northern lights, could be seen in parts of Central Florida on Tuesday night.

A powerful solar storm made the Northern Lights visible this far south.

Many people across the area snapped pictures of the night sky that glowed with flashes of red, pink and blue.

Some FOX 35 viewers captured some spectacular photos of the northern lights and shared them with us. .

How northern lights happen

The northern lights are also called an aurora. They happen because our planet’s magnetic field acts like a protective shield, blocking most of the dangerous radiation from the sun but in the process, the collision of that solar energy excites gas particles in our highest upper atmosphere, creating glowing displays of color across the night sky.

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