The night sky across much of South Dakota lit up in a vast array of colors overnight as many residents had a chance to view – and photograph – the northern lights.

A powerful geomagnetic storm that collided hit the atmosphere Nov. 11 set off vivid auroras across a large part of North America, where the brilliant colors were visible as far south as Florida, USA TODAY reported.

Geomagnetic storms occur when a coronal mass ejection from the sun's surface arrives in Earth's atmosphere. The ejection that caused the activity Nov. 11 erupted from the sun earlier in the week, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado.

Here are some of the images captured by South Dakota residents as the northern lights filled the sky Nov. 11.

USA TODAY reporter Dinah Voyles Pulv

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