Northern Lights seen across parts of Cambridgeshire

It's not the first time the county has seen a glimpse of the lights this year

Author: Ellie CloutePublished 11th Oct 2024

The Northern Lights could be seen dancing across the sky in much of the UK last night, including in areas across Cambridgeshire.

Aurora Borealis were visible from Northern Ireland, and as far south as Kent, with areas across the South East and East of England also able to view the light show.

The Northern Lights lit up the skies with bright pink hues, with photos of the natural phenomenon captured and shared across the country.

Professor Jim Wild could see the lights from his back garden. He researches the aurora and space weather at Lancaster University, and told the PA news agency: "My research focuses on the physics of the connections between the Sun and the Earth.

"Over the years, I've been to the Arctic Circle several times to make measurements of the aurora, but it's really special to see the northern lights from your back garden with your whole family."

The Met Office said relatively clear skies were forecast for much of the UK, creating a "decent chance of visibility".

A spokesman for the forecaster said there had been "more space weather events in recent months", including the Northern Lights, because the sun was nearing the peak of its solar cycle.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said there was a chance of some visible auroras across parts of the UK on Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday.

The auroras on Earth, which are most commonly seen over high polar latitudes but can spread south, are chiefly influenced by geomagnetic storms which originate from activity on the Sun.

The sun works on a cycle of around 11 years called the solar cycle - with peak sunspot activity on the surface of the Sun referred to as solar maximum.

Sunspots give the potential for Earth-directed releases of large bursts of energy, called coronal mass ejections, which can lead to aurora visibility.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth's atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.

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