A newly developed instrument shows Earth's Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis in a dazzling rainbow of colors. But hyperspectral imaging of the aurora, well, now that's a different beast ...

In August, over a calm Michigan lake, Karl Duesterhaus, 34, of Chicago, was treated to an unusual phenomenon: the northern lights, which appeared as hazy colors in a brighter-than-usual night sky.

Auroras (also called the northern and southern lights) are visible from the ground after powerful solar storms, but these ...

Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizabethRonk.. The aurora borealis, a.k.a., the northern lights, northern Canada, 1953.

KidsPost Every winter, the aurora borealis turns the night sky into a paint box of colors. The sun and Earth work together to create the magical light show.

The northern lights are expected to grace the skies of some northern states in the wake of a coronal mass ejection from the sun.

See the aurora borealis, aka the northern lights, across the northern tier of the U.S. this week, from Maine to Montana to Washington this week.

Tip 4: Practice patience. Don’t give up if you don’t see the aurora right away. Our eyes can take a half hour or more to adjust to seeing light and color in the darkness.

NOAA advises viewers to be at a high vantage point and away from light pollution, while the optimal time to see the aurora borealis is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. in areas north of the view line.