A wide area of the United States that normally doesn't view the Northern Lights got them Saturday courtesy of this week's significant solar flares event.

Not only that, but the view was more spectacular than ever and lasted longer than usual. The big show is expected to continue through early next week.

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The Aurora Borealis, commonly referred to as the Northern Lights, generally is seen only in the places far north like Alaska and the Yukon. The condition is known as Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Northern Lights this time were visible during the evening along the East Coast from Maine to Maryland and throughout the upper Midwest from Iowa to Michigan.

They're fairly rare in the Pacific Northwest, but do occur. Recent solar flares, however, are generating the best Northern Lights in years in Idaho, Oregon and Washington state. The sky filled with swirling streaks of beautiful greens, yellows, blues and reds.

Grateful stargazers should thank the sun that sent extremely large solar flares earthward earlier this week. Matter from those flares collided with gaseous debris from Earth creating the brilliant Aurora Borealis display with Earth's south and north poles generating streams of cascading colors through the skies.

Best views were possible around midnight in places with fewer clouds and less pollution, said scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The auroral oval was brighter and expanded more from the equator Friday and Saturday nights, they said.

The large solar flare event has possible downsides, too. Flares could disrupt GPS systems, satellite signals and radio transmissions. This event, however, resulted in only minor disruptions to date, scientists said.

For those who missed this evening's show, good news. Heightened Northern Lights activity may be in the offing through the weekend, forecasters said.

TagsSolar Flare, Northern Lights, Astronomy, Aurora Borealis, NOAA, weather, aurora australis, UFO