Marin County resident Jenny Montañez likely captured a photo of red aurora borealis, which appeared over Northern California on Sept. 12.

A powerful geomagnetic storm is poised to descend over Earth on Sept. 16, potentially bringing aurora borealis to regions like Pennsylvania, Iowa and Oregon, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced — but it appears that some Californians were already lucky enough to witness it just outside their doorstep last week.

Around 3 a.m. last Thursday, Marin County resident Jenny Montañez saw a “faint red glow” with her naked eye, she told SFGATE. When she pulled out her phone and took a picture of it in night mode, a flurry of pink bloomed........

© SFGate