Cannibal solar storm sparks dazzling northern lights across Europe and North America (photos)

Northern lights appear as ribbons of pink and green light above a body of water, they are reflected below.

A cannibal solar storm slammed into Earth's magnetic field around 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) on Sept. 1, sparking a geomagnetic storm that lit up skies across Europe and North America overnight.

The storm reached G2 (moderate) levels according to both the U.K. Met Office and NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), and while different conditions could have produced even more intense auroras, skywatchers still managed to capture dazzling displays of the northern lights.