Here's what the northern lights looked like in southeastern Pennsylvania, and when they'll be visible again
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It was a two-for-one celestial spectacle across the Sunday night sky, with both the northern lights and Perseids meteor shower visible across parts of southeastern Pennsylvania.
The Perseids, which are the second biggest meteor shower of the year, were visible on the northeastern horizon overnight between 11 p.m. and around 3 a.m. According to meteorologist Tammie Souza, the meteor shower could be visible again Monday night into early Tuesday morning.
At the same time, the northern lights dazzled night owls and early birds mostly around the western and northwestern suburbs. Photos posted online from Delaware, Chester, Bucks, Berks and Lehigh counties showed lots of purple and pink hues lighting up the sky.
The aurora becomes visible after a coronal mass ejection creates a geomagnetic storm. When these bursts of charged solar particles begin to hit the Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, they interact with gases in the atmosphere and create the northern lights.
When will the northern lights be visible again in Pennsylvania?
According to Tammie, conditions could be favorable again to see the northern lights late Monday night into early Tuesday, sometime between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.
"I think we'll be favorable several more times as we go into the summer and into the fall," Tammie says, "so keep your eye to the sky!"
