Pilot diverts flight, treating passengers to stunning show of Northern Lights

CTV National News: Why Northern Lights popped up Bill Fortier reports on the sun’s celestial milestone being behind why people across the country are seeing the Northern Lights..

Passengers were treated to first-class views on an EasyJet flight from England to Iceland as the plane flew past a display of Aurora Borealis.

The plane was flying near Iceland when passengers on both sides of the aisle were able to catch the spectacle as the pilot looped twice for everyone to see.

The Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, are a colourful display of lights, occurring in the Northern hemisphere according to the Canadian Space Agency and in recent days many parts in Canada have been treated with a view.

In February, a solar storm triggered increased activity that brought the spectacle to sky gazers in Manitoba, parts of Ontario and Quebec.

Mike Jensen, program supervisor at the Manitoba Museum, says these solar storms, also known as coronal mass ejections, have been very powerful as the sun reaches the height of its 11-year cycle.

This flurry northern light displays was "caused by a couple of very strong, powerful ejections," Jensen told CTV News. "And right now we appear to be pretty near or at the peak of the current cycle."

On Twitter, U.S. astronaut Josh Cassada posted an even higher aerial view of the spectacle, sharing a photo from the International Space Station capturing the Aurora Borealis gleaming above Earth's surface.