Northern Lights Over Silverado: Photo Of The Day

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — A breathtaking phenomenon passed over the region over the weekend, and some Orange County residents were fortunate enough to catch as glimpse as dazzling aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, appeared in SoCal.

Orange County resident Michéle Botha drove out to Silverado to try to see the northern lights at around 11 p.m. on Saturday, May 11.

They stopped at a turn out that overlooks the canyon, right before the lake.

"We stood outside our car and looked around for about 20 minutes, then we looked over to the north — just past the mountains — and we could see something starting to happen," Botha told Patch. "It started as a blue hue in the sky and then started changing more to green and slight pink tones — it was breathtaking."

Botha said that while the experience only lasted three to five minutes, she will always be grateful to have shared the ephemeral moment with her daughter.

"We were both so excited and so glad we took the chance to drive out," Botha said.