Northern lights UK: Stunning display right across the country
Northern Lights Light Up The Sky In Cornwall
Source of image: BBC Weather Watchers / Geraint
Stargazers got to see the Aurora Borealis and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower in Holyhead, Anglesey.
Breathtaking shows of the Aurora Borealis have been spotted all over the United Kingdom, happening at the same time as the Perseid meteor shower for the second consecutive night.
The skies in Cornwall and even further south were illuminated by the aurora.
The Northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, have been seen frequently in the UK lately. However, a very powerful geomagnetic storm is needed for them to be visible in the southern part of England.
As solar activity remains strong, there will be increased opportunities to catch a glimpse of the aurora in the upcoming months.
Photo credit to BBC Weather Watchers / Rossi
The vibrant green hues of the Northern Lights photographed in the Highlands resemble a scene straight out of a futuristic film.
The Aurora Borealis displays as vibrant, twisting drapes of light in the dark sky and come in shades varying from green to pink and red.
Solar storms occur when charged particles emitted by the sun collide with gases in the Earth's atmosphere.
They happen near the North Pole when the solar wind filled with particles interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field.
The most stunning light shows in the sky happen when the Sun releases massive clouds of particles known as coronal mass ejections.
Picture credit, BBC Weather Watchers / art_sea_craft_sea_ellie
Northern lights were spotted in Cornwall on Monday night by one of our BBC Weather Watchers.
The colorful lights known as the aurora borealis come from the north and move towards the south (in the northern hemisphere). Depending on how strong it is, people in Scotland can sometimes catch a glimpse of the aurora.
It is less common to come across it in the south of England.
But as the Sun has become more active, there have been more instances of strong activity occurring more often.
This has caused the aurora to be visible in southern England several times this year.
The sun became more active on Monday afternoon, causing a powerful G3 geomagnetic storm. This made it very possible for people in the UK to see the Northern Lights without any special equipment during the night.
BBC Weather Watchers received many pictures of the Aurora Borealis from people who went outside from 10pm to 1am.
Picture credit, BBC Weather Observers / Ruth Davies
Amazing evening sky illuminated with aurora over Llandegla, Denbighshire
The Aurora Borealis has not been the lone cosmic display in the nighttime heavens.
During the past few evenings, we experienced the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, with a potential to see up to 100 shooting stars, known as meteors.
People who went outside on Sunday night to watch the meteors were surprised with an unexpected display of northern lights.
Taking a photo of both shooting stars and the northern lights together was described to me as the ultimate goal.
Picture courtesy of BBC Weather Watchers / The Fizzery
The Perseid meteor shower delighted stargazers on Monday evening.
Can We See The Northern Lights Or Perseids Tonight?
The intense magnetic storm that occurred on Monday night has calmed down. However, the Met Office Space Weather predictions indicate that there may be a slight uptick in activity again during the night leading into Wednesday morning.
The northern parts of the UK may not experience as vibrant aurora activity as they did on Sunday and Monday nights.
On Wednesday, activity is expected to return to normal levels with no major improvements expected.
Regarding the Perseid meteor shower, the most intense activity occurred on Monday and it quickly decreases afterwards.
Therefore, although there may be a few more meteors to observe, the chances are significantly lower at this point.
Source of the image, BBC Weather Watchers / Paul Abbleby
Stunning display of northern lights spotted in Craster, Northumberland on Monday evening
Picture credit, BBC Weather Spotters / Jonnymo
The phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis was observed in Shropshire.
