The Northern Lights was seen across parts of the UK on Thursday night, with some sightings as far south as the Sussex coast.
The Met Office had said earlier on Thursday the lights, also known as aurora borealis, might be visible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England.
Delighted skygazers have now shared photos of the phenomenon illuminating northern areas including Fife in Scotland, Northumberland, and north Wales in pink and green.
Photos also showed faint bands of colour lighting up the night sky in East Sussex on Thursday night.
Jonathan Vautrey, Met Office meteorologist, said on Thursday evening: "We've had a coronal mass ejection from the sun in the last few days that arrived to Earth this morning.
Northern Lights visible again tonight in Northumberland 😍 #NorthernLights pic.twitter.com/Xldy340b5j
— Rob Lee (@fscollector1985) September 12, 2024
"The geomagnetic activity is already happening, but it's not dark enough to see anything.
"The activity will be continuing throughout this evening and there's a chance of seeing it.
"The main likely area is Scotland, there's chances with this particular one possibly from Northern Ireland and northern England as well.
Magical moment in Sussex tonight! About an hour after sunset, with twilight still lingering, the Northern Lights made a surprise appearance. Pillars danced across the sky for a fleeting minute – just long enough to snap a few shots. #aurorauk #eastsussex #Auroraborealis pic.twitter.com/iLD72uAU3k
— Stan Coddles (@coddlersandco) September 12, 2024
"You want to be looking to the northern horizon, if you've got a clear view of the horizon you've got a chance.”
He said there might also be chance for some faint images showing the aurora borealis from the north Norfolk coast.
"Tonight is going to be pretty ideal conditions as there's going to be very little cloud,” said Mr Vautrey.
Time lapses when things got much stronger around 1am!! #northernlights #AuroraBorealis in #eryri North Wales @Netweather @metoffice #aurora @AuroraNotify @DerekTheWeather @suecharles @ThePhotoHour @StormHour #Astrophotography #pixel8a @madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/WRxUlDd5JX
— Keith R (@karnlt) September 13, 2024
"Sometimes it's easier to see through a camera or telescope if you do have them."
There is another chance to see the lights on Friday night into Saturday, but Mr Vautrey said it was likely to be weaker than Thursday's.
The Met Office posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday saying: "You might want to look up at the sky tonight because there's the chance of seeing the aurora.
AURORA | Aurora Borealis photographed from North Fife
— David Young (@davidyoungphoto) September 12, 2024
.#photography #photographer #nightsky #nightphotography #nightskyphotography #aurora #auroraborealis#northernlights #sky #tay #river #rivertay pic.twitter.com/S06i8F4POk
"Clear skies for most overnight will make for ideal viewing conditions, with sightings possible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England"
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.
Aurora Borealis visible this evening from Seaford East Sussex UK #Aurora #AuroBorealis #NorthernLights @liamdutton @BBCSussex @bbcsoutheast @chunder10 @TamithaSkov pic.twitter.com/jBDeHEhscW
— Stan Coddles (@coddlersandco) September 12, 2024
In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.
When activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area - which is why displays can be occasionally seen as far south as the UK. In May, the “stunning” spectacle was pictured over London and across southern England.
Mr Vautrey advised anyone planning to see the lights on Thursday evening to "layer up" as there was the potential for some frost overnight amid the Arctic blast that has swept the UK.
A great night for watching the Northern Lights... if you were wrapped up. Temperatures overnight dropped to -0.8C at Katesbridge. That's the earliest frost in Northern Ireland since 24th August 2020. pic.twitter.com/qRQWJ0lABq
— Geoff Maskell (@geoff_maskell) September 13, 2024
On Friday, there was expect to be sunshine, with highs of 17C in the London area.
Much of southern Scotland, all of England and Wales will stay largely dry on Saturday, with highs of 19C in the south, the forecaster added.
And on Sunday north-west England will likely see rain but temperatures could reach 20C in London and the South East.
