NORTHERN Lights have lit up skies across the nation with Brits left transfixed by the dazzling colourful glow.
The spectacular natural phenomenon, known as the aurora borealis, had weather watchers stunned at the jaw-dropping light show.
Brits were left stunned by a dazzling Northern Lights showCMA
Dominic Darvell/pictureexclusive.comThe stunning northern lights at Crosby Beach on the Merseyside coastline[/caption]
The Aurora Borealis is more commonly seen in Iceland but was seen in a rare sighting from KentAlamy
The fascinating light spectacle is usually most visible near the Earth’s magnetic north and south poles, with Iceland being the best spot for views.
But lucky Brits were able to see the shimmering lights in a rare occurrence last night.
The most vibrant display was across Scotland and northern England where the aurora was made up of bright greens and deep reds.
And there were also incredible sightings in Kent, Northern Ireland, south Wales and Norfolk.
Star-gazers as far south as Hertfordshire and Cornwall were also able to catch a glimpse of the jaw-dropping lights.
An aurora is formed by a solar flare erupting on the Sun, sending charged particles towards Earth which interact with our atmosphere.
The solar storms cause bright, colourful dancing lights in white, green, pink and purple that illuminate the sky but are rarely seen in the UK.
The Met Office said the lights are likely to be seen again on Monday night.
According to BBC Science Focus, the furthest south the Northern Lights has ever been spotted was Honolulu, just 21° north of the equator during the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history in 1859, known as The Carrington Event.
Dozens of spectators shared their sightings across social media yesterday.
Residents in Bristol who captured the mysterious green glow said they thought it was “airport lights” at first.
Jane Youden said: “[My husband] was out in the garden, and he came back in and said, ‘look, it looks weird’.
“And I said, ‘No, that’s just the airport lights’. But then I went to look from upstairs, and I was thinking something struck me a little differently. I called down, ‘that looks like a Northern Lights.’”
She added: “I didn’t expect to take a photo and to see it. It was just a complete shock. We were then gobsmacked for the next hour or so as it just sort of slightly changed shape.”
An Aurora forecast from the University of Alaska shows that yesterday in Europe, Auroral activity was high.
Weather permitting, it has been suggested that highly active displays would be visible overhead from Tromsø, Norway, to as far south as Sundsvall, Sweden.
Forecasters added that the Northern Lights would be visible low on the horizon from Edinburgh.
The aurora had Brits marvelling at the sightSWNS
The aurora was seen as far south as CornwallBNPS
Bav MediaThe beautiful Aurora near Inverness, Scotland[/caption]
People across the country enjoyed the stunning light showRoddy Scott Read More