Magnificent Northern Lights (auroras borealis) have been captured on a timelapse video near St. Petersburg in Russia. The northern capital can be seen illuminated by a dazzling display of colored lights, ranging from deep green to dark purple.

The footage was released by Aleksandr Danilov, who has created a number of amazing timelapse videos, depicting mostly scenes in and around St. Petersburg.

The Northern Lights are triggered by interactions between Earth’s magnetic field and charged particles caused by explosions in the sun’s atmosphere.

The phenomenon is often observed in the Arctic Ocean regions and appears as a spectacular curtain of lights. But sometimes arcs or spirals, often following the lines of force in the Earth’s magnetic field, grace the night canvas. Most auroras are green with traces of pink, red, violet and white.

READ MORE: Deep purple: Cities across Russia illuminated by dazzling Northern Lights (PHOTOS)

Cities across Russia, not in the Polar Circle, have recently been treated to the gorgeous dazzling auroras, which are very rare in their regions. These cities include Novosibirsk in Siberia, Yaroslavl and Kirov in western Russia.