HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — The northern lights provided a spectacular display of color in the night skies above Hampton Roads, Western Tidewater, the Eastern Shore and northeastern North Carolina Thursday.

WAVY viewers have been sharing their incredible photos of the northern lights, which were visible due to a severe solar storm impacting Earth.

Below is a gallery of the rare event in our region.

  • Northern lights as seen in Suffolk (Brenda Reed-Olejasz – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Suffolk (Brenda Reed-Olejasz – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights from Exeter, Maine (Susan D. Sanchez – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights in Pungo (WAVY Viewer Photo – Gary Watts)
  • Northern lights as seen off of Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach (David Paradiso – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights in Pungo (WAVY Viewer Photo – Gary Watts)
  • Northern lights (Laurie Monfreda – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights in Pungo (WAVY Viewer Photo – Gary Watts)
  • Northern lights as seen on the Eastern Shore (Ragan Payne – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights in Pungo (WAVY Viewer Photo – Gary Watts)
  • Northern lights from Moyock, N.C. (Butch Woodruff – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Moyock, NC (Butch Woodruff – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Moyock, NC (Butch Woodruff – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen from Currituck County, NC (Bruny Vanraalte – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Virginia Beach (Julia Eberhart – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen on the Eastern Shore (Ragan Payne – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights (Laurie Monfreda – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach (Michele Baird – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights (Laurie Monfreda – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights (Laurie Monfreda – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights in Pungo (WAVY Viewer Photo – Gary Watts)
  • Northern lights in Pungo (WAVY Viewer Photo – Gary Watts)
  • Northern lights from Courtland, in Southampton County (Joel Britt – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen from Currituck County, NC (Bruny Vanraalte – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights in Courtland (Maura Britt – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights in Courtland (Maura Britt – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights in Courtland (Maura Britt – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights from Exeter, Maine (Susan D. Sanchez – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Corapeake, NC (Matt Meinertzhagen – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen on the Eastern Shore (Ragan Payne – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen on the Eastern Shore (Ragan Payne – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen on the Eastern Shore (Ragan Payne – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen on the Eastern Shore (Ragan Payne – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen on the Eastern Shore (Ragan Payne – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Williamsburg (Zamairah Diaz – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen from Currituck County, NC (Bruny Vanraalte – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen from Currituck County, NC (Bruny Vanraalte – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen from Currituck County, NC (Bruny Vanraalte – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Poplar Branch, NC (Laurel Young – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Suffolk (Brenda Reed-Olejasz – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Suffolk (Brenda Reed-Olejasz – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Suffolk (Brenda Reed-Olejasz – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Suffolk (Brenda Reed-Olejasz – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Suffolk (Brenda Reed-Olejasz – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Stumpy Point, in Dare County, NC (Sean Manning – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen off the Rappahannock River in Topping, in Middlesex County, Va. (Helen Estes – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights from Exeter, Maine (Susan D. Sanchez – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights from Exeter, Maine (Susan D. Sanchez – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen off the Chickahominty River in Williamsburg (Doug Hogue – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen off the Chickahominty River in Williamsburg (Doug Hogue – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen from Toano, in James City County (Kelsey Thompson – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Pungo (Cassandra McQuagge – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Pungo (Cassandra McQuagge – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Pungo (Cassandra McQuagge – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Pungo (Cassandra McQuagge – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Williamsburg (Jim Bean – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen in Williamsburg (Jim Bean – WAVY Viewer Photo)
  • Northern lights as seen from Northwest River Park (Chelsie Sedillo – WAVY Viewer Photo)

While the northern lights were projected to be most visible in Canada and Alaska, several states in continental United States, including in Virginia and North Carolina, also got a chance to see the northern lights. Those further south may have needed to use a smartphone to see them. Newer phone cameras are more sensitive to light than our eyes, and they’re able to capture auroras we can’t see, according to Michael Bettwy, operations chief of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

Check back with WAVY.com for more photos of the northern lights from WAVY viewers.