The Aurora Borealis lit up the night sky with rare sightings across the country.
The lights, also known as the aurora borealis, have been spotted in Whitley Bay on the north-east coast, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Wokingham in Berkshire.
3
3
Kathleen Cunnea, in Great Horkesley, Essex, said: “It was absolutely stunning to see.”
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said on Friday there was a good chance the Northern Lights would be seen.
He said: “Although the shorter nights will limit the visibility window, there is a good chance of seeing the aurora, especially on Friday night and especially in Scotland, Ireland and parts of northern England and Wales.
“There may even be visibility further south if you have the right equipment.
“These conditions may continue into Saturday night, but we have yet to work out some details about where exactly this will occur.”
Dixon said the combination of clear skies and increased activity from the sun reaching Earth would increase the chances of seeing the display.
Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.
In the Northern Hemisphere, most of this activity occurs within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.
When activity is strong, it expands to cover a larger area – which explains why displays can occasionally be seen in the far south of the UK.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
