Northern lights have astonished stargazers in southern England, who have witnessed a rare and breathtaking sight.
The colourful aurora was visible in the sky for two nights in a row, and skywatchers from across the nation captured images of the extraordinary phenomenon.
The northern lights are caused by the interaction of charged particles from solar flares with our atmosphere. Even though they are observable further north, they are much less common in the south.
Mary McIntyre, an amateur astronomer from Oxfordshire, was among the fortunate individuals who managed to photograph the scene. She admits that she was surprised to see the lights for two nights in a row after spending the majority of the night outside to capture the image.
“Red aurora is only visible when it’s extremely active,” she explained, “so to have aurora that was visibly red for two nights in a row is so rare that it’s almost unbelievable.”
Northampton-based wedding photographer Dan Cocks also took advantage of the opportunity by travelling to Blenheim Palace to capture some remarkable images. He was amazed by what he captured after setting the camera’s self-timer.
Helen Haigh of Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire, captured a “orangey, reddish, pinkish haze” backlighting the trees in a local churchyard. Three years ago, she travelled to Iceland in search of the Northern Lights, but she never expected to find them so close to home.
Stewart Wilson, a resident of Andover, attempted to travel to Scotland to view the aurora borealis, but never expected to see them so close to home. While out with his wife and daughter, he witnessed the eerie shimmering in the sky.
Martin Dolan from Wimborne took a photograph of what he believes to be the northern lights at Corfe Castle in Dorset. He stated that the strong purple-red hue, which he rarely observes due to light pollution, inspired him to take the photograph.
In southern England, it is unlikely that these views will be seen again for some time, despite the fact that a large number of people were privileged to witness them.
On two consecutive nights, southern England was treated to a rare sighting of the northern lights. The colourful aurora is caused by charged particles from solar flares interacting with our atmosphere and is typically visible in the northern hemisphere. Mary McIntyre and Dan Cocks were two of the fortunate amateur astronomers who captured the view on camera and shared their stories with the BBC. Helen Haigh and Stewart Wilson also had extraordinary experiences with their sightings, whereas Martin Dolan was uncertain whether or not his photograph depicted the northern lights. It is unlikely that these views will be seen again in southern England for quite some time, despite the good fortune of witnessing such a magnificent natural spectacle.
