Northern Lights Videos: The Best Footage Of October's Aurora Borealis (VIDEO)
share this story
Americans farther south were treated on Monday night to a rare display of the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights.
The display produced some amazing pictures, and within hours of the show, dozens of videos of the event had been uploaded to YouTube.
The display was special treat for those in the American south. According to CNN, the northern lights are usually seen no farther south than Boston, Minneapolis or Seattle, but a moderate-level geomagnetic storm, coupled with dark, clear skies, created ideal conditions for the light show.
According to the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, auroras are created when electrons from space collide with atoms and molecules of gases (like oxygen and nitrogen) from the Earth's atmosphere. These collisions produce the amazing displays of light that we can see.
A couple of the videos in the slideshow below are from as far south as Missouri and Arkansas. Others are from more northern latitudes, like Norway and Michigan.
One of the videos, from British Columbia, was shot by Yuichi Takasaka, the photographer behind this amazing photo of the aurora borealis.
Watch the videos below and vote for your favorite.
Click here for more about Monday night's display.
Loading comments… 
First Posted: 10/28/11 08:36 PM ET Updated: 10/28/11 08:47 PM ET