The aurora borealis, which transformed the sky with startling streaks of pink and purple, arose from a magnetic storm.

Players wearing glow-in-the-dark necklaces pulled out their cellphones, snapping photos of the unmistakable purples, greens and pinks of the northern lights. One bocce player, annoyed that the game paused,

Bask in the glow of glimmering aurora views from locations across the country, including from CNET staffers -- and even photos from the International Space Station.

Many people reported spectacular views on Thursday as the northern lights, or aurora borealis, appeared as bright, dynamic curtains of color in the night sky of the northern hemisphere.

People in the Pittsburgh area had the chance to see the northern lights on Thursday night. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issued a geomagnetic storm watch for a G4 storm that triggered the northern lights around the Pittsburgh area this week.

Night skies came aglow on Thursday with the shimmering palette of the northern lights, or the aurora borealis if you prefer. Above rooftops in Brooklyn and along the shores of Maine, amid Scottish trees and between Russian monuments to artistry,