BRITS were treated to a stunning rare celestial display overnight with the Northern Lights glistening over much of the UK.
Bright hues of pink and green were spotted all the way down to Cornwall, following a severe geomagnetic storm.
The Northern Lights – or Aurora Borealis – are typically spotted further north.
It had been hit and miss whether any Northern Lights would be visible at all due to the weather.
But the Met Office said “widespread” auroras were visible across much of the UK, with reports extending as far south as northern Italy.
And there’s a chance of more on Tuesday night if you missed them.
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Northern Lights come about due to solar eruptions, where particles are sent racing from the sun towards Earth.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) – huge explosive bursts of solar plasma and magnetic field – was spat out from the sun on Sunday.
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This led to warnings of possible radio blackouts and satellite disruption.
The Met Office said you might still be able to see Northern Lights tonight.
However, auroral activity is expected to decline meaning they probably won’t reach England.
“It may still be visible in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and other similar latitudes with clear skies,” forecasters explained.
“Auroras are then forecast to return to background levels for the remainder of the period.”
Auroras – how do they work?
Here’s the official explanation from Nasa…
- The dancing lights of the auroras provide spectacular views on the ground, but also capture the imagination of scientists who study incoming energy and particles from the sun
- Auroras are one effect of such energetic particles, which can speed out from the sun both in a steady stream called the solar wind and due to giant eruptions known as coronal mass ejections or CMEs
- After a trip toward Earth that can last two to three days, the solar particles and magnetic fields cause the release of particles already trapped near Earth, which in turn trigger reactions in the upper atmosphere in which oxygen and nitrogen molecules release photons of light
- The result: the Northern and Southern lights.
