Northern Lights put on spectacular display over US and Canada

Stargazers in Canada and the US were treated to spectacular sights on Monday morning as the Northern Lights made a rare appearance.

The natural phenomenon saw Vermont, Wisconsin Michigan, New Hampshire and parts of Canada light up in dazzling green and purple hues.

Instagrammers were on hand to capture the natural phenomenon, with one Michigan resident recording a time-lapse video of the celestial display swooping over the iconic Mackinac Bridge, with ribbons of light moving across the starry night sky.

The phenomenon is usually only visible from near the North and South Poles, but a geomagnetic storm triggered by a solar flare caused the unusual performance in North America and Canada.

The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, form as a result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere and charged particles from the sun.

When the highly charged electrons drop back to a lower energy state, they release the telltale streaks of neon green light that fill the sky.

The NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centre had given residents a heads up, tweeting that the phenomenon may be visible before nightfall.

The event lasted from about 11pm on Sunday to 5am on Monday.

Many left their houses in the early hours to watch the display, but cloud coverage proved an issue in parts of the US, diminishing chances of seeing the lights.

However, many Instagrammers were lucky enough to have a prime spot to see the spectacular display, right on their front doorstep.

Here are some of the best images captured: