LEWES, Del. - The northern lights were visible over the Delaware Bay for about 20 minutes Sunday night.
CoastTV viewer Michael Potter was on a ship and about to get off near Cape Henlopen when he said the aurora exploded to the north at 2 a.m. He took a handful of spectacular photos between 2:14 and 2:20 a.m.
"There was a faint red glow on the horizon only visible on my camera all evening," Potter said. "The brightest bands were easily visible to the naked eye, but the long exposure of the camera was necessary to see the color."
Michael Potter was on a ship in the Delaware Bay when he first began to notice the northern lights overnight Sunday. (Michael Potter)
CoastTV meteorologists explained the phenomenon. Northern lights, or aurora borealis, occur when the earth's magnetic field interacts with solar wind. The magnetic field is compressed and launches charged particles, which collide with the atmosphere and cause flashes of light.
Northern lights have recently been seen in the Mid-Atlantic region and were also visible back in May. It's rare to see them this far south but does happen occasionally, with some visible at times across southern states as far as Florida.