Best Northern Lights photos as aurora borealis creates stunning images in skies over UK and Europe
The UK’s night sky was transformed into a breathtaking canvas of green and pink on Monday evening as the aurora borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, put on a spectacular display.
This natural phenomenon, usually limited to regions near the Arctic Circle, was visible over large areas of the country due to increased solar activity.
Dazzling images taken on Monday revealed the skyscape over Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, extending into south-west, south, east and parts of northern England. Dazzling displays will likely continue in some areas on Tuesday.
The Met Office confirmed that “severe geomagnetic storms” were responsible and “produced widespread auroras visible across the UK, with reports extending as far south as northern Italy.”
The Met Office attributed the vibrant light show to the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), in which the Sun ejects huge clouds of particles.
The best way to see auroras is to move away from areas with light pollution and give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness.
Met Office Space Weather Manager Krista Hammond said in a statement: “There is still some uncertainty about the exact timing of CME’s arrival, but it is expected either tonight or tomorrow morning.
“CME is likely to cause a geomagnetic storm and create the potential for seeing the aurora.
“However, viewing of CME depends on CME arriving during dark and clear sky hours. Unfortunately, clouds and rain on Tuesday evening may make viewing difficult even if the timing is favorable.”
“The effects of CME may continue into Tuesday night; aurora sightings are possible in Scotland, perhaps Northern Ireland and Northern England where skies are clear. This will likely diminish further by Wednesday night, perhaps with some glimpses possible from the far north of Scotland.”
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center, the best time to view them is usually an hour or two after midnight.
“These active aurora hours expand into the evening and morning as the level of geomagnetic activity increases,” NOAA said. website.
“There may be auroras in the evening and morning hours, but they are generally not as active and therefore not as visually appealing.”
These particles interact with oxygen and nitrogen gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, creating different colors. Oxygen atoms typically glow green, the most common hue, while nitrogen atoms produce purple, blue, and pink.
While activity is expected to decrease, sightings may still be possible in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland on Tuesday.
