Rare phenomenon: Aurora Borealis, aka Northern Lights, seen across UK
The sky is green! In a very rare display (one that we still can't believe!), the majestic phenomenon of Aurora Borealis, i.e., Northern Lights, dazzled the skies of the United Kingdom on Sunday night! The light spectacle was seen across Britain and Ireland and reached as far south as Cornwell and Kent. More details to follow, so read on.
Sky featured hues of green, purple, pink
The onlookers saw the skies of the UK turning into a shimmering canvas of greens, purples, and pinks on Sunday night. Many took to social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram to share their best-clicked snaps of the rare occurrence. Though one can witness Northern Lights in Scotland in the UK, it is a surprise that people could spot them in southern England, too!
UK's Met Office forecast clear conditions
The UK's Met Office on Sunday night tweeted, "A coronal hole high-speed stream arrived this evening combined with a rather fast coronal mass ejection leading to #Aurora sightings across the UK." It also shared some photographs of the magnetic phenomenon that featured different color combinations, as seen in North Uist, North Wales, Cambridgeshire, and Shropshire. While North Uist was in green, Shropshire showcased pink.
Take a look at the pictures
Lights likely to be seen on Monday night too
Skygazers in the UK should gear up for another visual treat of the Aurora Borealis as the Met Office predicted another display to take place on Monday night. The authorities concerned said the Aurora Borealis "may be visible as far south as central England tonight where skies remain clear," adding the lights are likely to be seen again on Monday night as well.
Here's what Met Office posted
Aurora was visible to naked eye: Photographer Gary Pearson
One of the spectators was photographer Gary Pearson, who watched the display from Brancaster Staithe in Norfolk and told BBC, "We had a fantastic showing from the Northern Lights last night!" "The Aurora was clearly visible to the naked eye, though it was the long exposure taken by the camera that picked up the extremely vivid colors," he added.
How did Northern Lights make their way across UK?
Over the past few days, Earth has been receiving a strong solar flare with charged particles that reached our planet's atmosphere on Sunday night. The particles in question interacted with oxygen and nitrogen, emitting green and red colors in the sky. These particles are too strong, which is why they could travel further away from the poles to middle-latitude regions like England.
