Photos: Northern Lights make an appearance in Southwest Florida

A rare solar storm unleashed the Northern Lights across the United States, illuminating the night sky and even reaching as far as Southwest Florida over the weekend.

Reports and captivating images of vibrant hues on the horizon flooded in from our community starting Friday night.

SEE PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Aurora Borealis sightings over Southwest Florida

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch on Thursday for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Geomagnetic storms are rated on the "G" scale from 1 to 5 in intensity. There must be at least a G5 storm to see the lights here in Southwest Florida. The last G5 geomagnetic storm happened in Oct. 2003.

A large sunspot has produced a series of several solar flares since Wednesday. Explosions of plasma and magnetic fields propelled by the solar activity surged toward Earth, setting the stage for the breathtaking spectacle.

According to NASA, a geomagnetic storm or significant disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth.

The NOAA said auroras could be visible into Sunday. The best aurora can usually be seen between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

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Check out the gallery above to see photos captured by locals in SWFL!