LOOK: Dazzling Northern Lights Display Visible From Atop Mount Washington

MOUNT WASHINGTON, N.H. (CBS) --The aurora borealis could be seen Friday night in parts of North America - including the highest vantage point in New England. The Mount Washington Observatory shared a stunning photo from the summit of the northern lights.

"We had a brief view of the #northernlights overnight prior to them fading as the "viewing oval" shifted westward," the observatory said. "In this pic the green, reds and 'blurple' stretch from Mt. Clay (left) to the lights of Berlin, NH (right)."

The photo has garnered thousands of reactions on social media. A commenter in northwestern Maine also reported seeing the lights.

The northern lights are caused when solar energy from the sun collides with the Earth's magnetic field.

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• Northern Lights