Early Wednesday morning, the Northern Lights treated millions of Americans to a show in the northern United States.

The light show was caused by what NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) called a "severe geomagnetic storm," Slate reported. It shot particles toward the Earth that were caught in the magnetic field, illuminating the skies in a brilliant display.

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The auroras glowed in green, purple and white, and were seen as far south as North Carolina, according to local reports and photos submitted. We have collected several stunning images of the Northern Lights, which can be seen in the gallery at the top of this page.

Solar storms are ranked on a scale from 1 to 5, according to Space.com, with a G5 being the strongest. The storm that led to the incredible auroras was rated a G4 by the SWPC, the report added.

Space.com also said the last time a G4 storm affected Earth was in late 2013, according to SWPC space weather services branch chief Brent Gordon.