PHOTOS: Aurora Borealis lights up the skies over Oregon, U.S.

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — The Northern Lights once again lit up the skies across the United States late Thursday night.

Another powerful Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) made viewing the lights possible across the entire Pacific Northwest. But why has this happened so often recently?

According to KOIN 6 News Meteorologist Kelley Bayern, solar activity works in cycles, and we are nearing the end of one right now, leading to increased activity.

“The sun is always bubbling with sun spots and what are called ‘coronal mass ejections’ or solar flares of charged particles that are flung through space,” Bayern said. “These cycles of activity last about 11 years on average. We are currently at the end of an 11-year cycle, and there has been an uptick in the amount of sunspots and CMEs. These solar flares can cause major disruptions to radio communications on Earth. But it’s also a time where people can peer into the skies and see the dancing aurora.”

Check out photos from last night’s Northern Lights over Oregon and the rest of the United States below:

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