Northern Lights seen throughout UK after photo voltaic storm – nevertheless it might imply unhealthy information
Incredible Northern Light displays were seen across Britain’s skies early this morning thanks to the ‘biggest solar storm in years’, which can bring trouble too
Dazzling luminous displays of emerald green and violet light lit up the UK’s skies last night.
The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, were spotted over the Kent coast and Essex, across Cambridgeshire and Berkshire and even in Dublin.
Sightings were also recorded in Whitley Bay on the north east coast and in parts of Scotland.
The Northern Light’s rare appearance in British skies followed one of the strongest geomagnetic storms to hit Earth in years.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a rare solar storm warning for the G5 level storm, which is considered extreme and is the strongest level of geomagnetic storm
While geomagnetic storms increase the likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights, they can also affect communications, GPS, power grids and even space craft and satellite navigation.
The cause of this storm is a “large, complex” sunspot cluster and is 17 times the diameter of Earth, reports Wales Online. The last storm with a G5 rating hit earth in October 2003 causing power outages in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa.
While last nights Northern Lights were also spotted in Alabama and Southern California, many Brits craned their necks for their chance to catch a glimpse of the rare spectacle and capture the moment on camera – and here are some of the best photos.
