(KTXL) — Did you look up to the sky on Thursday night and see any northern lights?

The National Weather Service said that a severe geomagnetic storm alert was in effect Thursday night, with the northern lights visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California.

The northern lights, also known as auroras or aurora borealis, are caused by solar flares from the sun and are usually visible in higher latitudes.

Cameras operated by PG&E near Mt. Shasta recorded auroras just after 9 p.m., and a passenger on a flight from Alaska to Washington was able to capture video of the northern lights, according to local media outlets.