Northern lights dazzle in parts of UK overnight

Sky gazers were treated to “one of the best displays of aurora” on Thursday night.

After a strong geomagnetic storm, the northern lights were seen in southern England and Wales in a rare display.

The aurora can be particularly strong around the equinox which happened earlier in the week.

Aurora activity is also increasing as the sun reaches the most active part of its 11-year cycle in 2025.

Late on Thursday evening satellites which monitor solar activity picked up a strong solar wind directed towards Earth.

Aurora watchers were then alerted, poised with their cameras pointing to the northern sky.

Charged particles entered our atmosphere and interacted with oxygen and nitrogen. The result was a display of green, magenta, red and purple colours dancing in the night sky.

Aurora with deep reds and yellows in the night skyIMAGE SOURCE,SHIRLEY YOU CANT BE CIRRUS / WEATHER WATCHERS
Image caption,

‘Best aurora seen this far south’ according to a Weather Watcher in Norfolk

Seeing the aurora in Scotland is fairly normal but this geomagnetic storm was so strong that it was spotted by BBC Weather Watchers in parts of Wales and southern England.

One Weather Watcher in Norfolk described it as the “best display of aurora I’ve seen this far south – greens and magentas clearly visible by eye”.

Another reason why the display may have been so good is that around the time of an equinox, more charged particles are able to enter our atmosphere.

With the tilt of the Earth in relation to the Sun positioned at right angles during the equinox, the magnetic field is stronger resulting in a more vibrant aurora.

This latest display comes less than a month since we saw the aurora come unusually south around the UK.

Green and purple tinges in the night sky with a jetty in the foreground.IMAGE SOURCE,JEKABS SILACERPS / WEATHER WATCHERS
Image caption,

Northern lights were unusually spotted in Conwy, Wales
Silhouette of a dolphin statue with green and purple aurora in night skyIMAGE SOURCE,JIMSBACKDOOR / WEATHER WATCHERS
Image caption,

Northern lights in Macduff, Aberdeenshire
Aurora made up of reds and greens filling the whole night sky.IMAGE SOURCE,SA37Y / WEATHER WATCHERS
Image caption,

Amazing display of aurora in Aberdeenshire
Tinges of purple in the night sky across a fieldIMAGE SOURCE,KERNOW NICK / WEATHER WATCHERS
Image caption,

Aurora unusually spotted in Cornwall
Aurora made up of bright green with purple streaks aboveIMAGE SOURCE,SA37Y / WEATHER WATCHERS
Image caption,

Aurora in Aberdeenshire
Lighthouse in Whitley Bay with green aurora in the sky behind and reflected in the water in the foregroundIMAGE SOURCE,ETA / WEATHER WATCHERS
Image caption,

Northern lights in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside
Aurora made up of dark green and red with a church spire visible in foregroundIMAGE SOURCE,LEWIS HORSELY VIA TWITTER
Image caption,

Lucky sky gazers treated to the aurora in Hampshire

Related Articles

Back to top button