Aurora borealis lights up P.E.I. skies as solar activity hits 11-year peak

Prince Edward Islanders were treated to a show of the northern lights Thursday evening.

Also known as the aurora borealis, the northern lights are caused by solar storms. When the powerful stream of solar particles hits the Earth's magnetic field, it lights up the sky in dazzling colours, usually in the northern part of the firmament.

The aurora is not normally seen as far south as P.E.I., but the sun has been very active recently, pushing the upper atmosphere activity into more southern latitudes.

The increased solar activity is part of an 11-year cycle, which is currently approaching or may have already reached its peak.

In Charlottetown, even with the city lights, a red glow could be seen above, even reaching into the southern part of the sky. As seen through the lens of a smart-phone camera the glow sprang out as vivid red and pink, with some green also visible.

As seen from the North Shore, the colours were even more vivid.

Some areas of the province had a more muted effect thanks to rain clouds in the atmosphere, however.