Northern Lights seen across Philadelphia area Thursday

PHILADELPHIA - A large swath of the Philadelphia area was happily surprised with an incredible display in the sky - the Northern lights.

From Philadelphia, stretching out across South Jersey, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, and even as far south as Fairfax County, Virginia, the stunning display of dancing "lights" was clearly visible to a stunned public.

Experts with the National Weather Service in the Mount Holly office stated an "unusually strong" geomagnetic storm would create conditions favorable for viewing and they were correct.

Where do you look?

Look up, and north! Weather experts say you will need an unobstructed view to the north that is away from any light pollution.

Northern Lights forecast

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center noted that a G4 or greater was forecasted through Friday. The SWPC rates solar storms on a five-level scale, with five being the most extreme and rarest space weather conditions. 

The Northern Lights are forecast to reach as far south as Northern California through Alabama. 

These stronger geomagnetic storms are less common than G1 or G2 events. However, Earth experienced near-global auroras in May, even as far south as Florida, when an "extreme" (G5) geomagnetic storm occurred because of two groups of extremely active sunspots.