TOPEKA (KSNT) - Residents of northern Kansas were treated to a stunning display of the northern lights on Thursday night. According to 27 News Meteorologist Gabby Gomez, the aurora borealis was visible to people in the lower Midwest and northern California. Gomez said the lights were visible due to a strong solar storm. The aurora wasn't as strong as the one that hit Earth in May but was still a nice treat for <idwesterners. 27 News had reached out to NASA earlier this week. Solar System Ambassador with NASA, Brenda Culbertson, told 27 News the weather phenomenon was caused by a Coronal Mass Ejection. Why Kansas is selling land in Colorado Photo by Erinn ResseguiePhoto by 27 News Meteorologist Matt MillerPhoto by Susan Sharrai.Photo by Bob McBroom out of Holton. “We do expect an impact from another strong Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) that was emitted because of a very strong solar flare from Sunspot AR3848 early this morning,” Culbertson said. “Expectations are high that more aurora will be visible from mid latitudes, and maybe low latitudes on Earth.” For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.