Aurora Borealis 2012: Did You See Northern Lights In Your Area Due To The Solar Storm? [VIDEO]

We really haven't had any reports from power system operators yet, said Rob Steenburgh, a space weather forecaster at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo. according to the Associated Press. But sometimes they don't come in until after the storm.

Steenburg said the solar flares and the solar storm reached a moderate level on Thursday as it hit the earth. However, early Friday, it was upgraded to a strong level.

Scientists say that the solar storm does not pose any danger to people, just to technology. There was reportedly a two-hour blackout of high frequency radio communications, from Africa to Australia. But the effects did not appear to pose any major problem. In North America, there were no reported problems of any electrical disturbances, according to the Associated Press.

Another consequence of the solar storms was the appearance of the Aurora Borealis in the night skies across the globe. The Aurora Borealis is a natural display of light in the sky. It is caused by a collision of charged particles with atoms in the thermosphere. It is often seen in high latitude regions, but the solar storm allowed people to view the Northern Lights lower latitude areas of the world. This event is named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas.

In North America, scientists predicted it may have been possible to see the Aurora Borealis in New York City. However, it was predicted that it could have been possible to get a glimpse of the event across the eastern seaboard and in other parts of the country. The last time New York City saw the Aura Borealis in the sky was 1859 during a solar storm.  There were also a prediction that places such as Massachusetts, Nebraska and Oregon would be able to view the Aurora Borealis.

However, these places were not that lucky.  While the storm was said to be at a strong level, scientists had expected it to be the worst solar storm since 2006, but their expectations fell flat.

It's not a terribly strong event. It's a very interesting event, said Joe Kunches, a scientist at the NOAA center, according to the Associated Press.

Another reason why the lights were not visible was because of the moon. Kunches said a full moon made it hard to see.

However, video from Michigan was uploaded on YouTube, as seen below, showing the stunning images of the Northern Lights. And Alaska also got a glimpse of the light phenomenon as well. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute said there was an extreme chance of viewing the lights Friday night as well.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute also developed the Aurora Borealis forecast tool to help people determine the best chances of seeing the northern lights. Place sushc as Fairbanks and Edmonton were expected to get a glimpse of the lights, but the outcome was bleak for Boise and Boston.

Around the globe, the usual places were expected to see the Aurora Borealis, including Scandinavia, Russia and Canada.

But if you are from a big city and still want to get a glimpse, check out the recently uploaded videos below.