The UK’s skies are illuminated by the Northern Lights.

Throughout the UK, people have reported seeing the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis.

Sightings have also been reported in Scotland and certain central and eastern regions of England. Scotland offers the best chances of seeing the northern lights, but it may be possible to see them as far south as central Wales and England.

The phenomenon is brought about by solar wind particles interacting with Earth’s atmosphere and being directed towards the polar regions by Earth’s magnetic field. When there are sun spots, where the magnetic field interacts with the solar plasma, the particles are more prevalent. After being directed into the Earth’s atmosphere, they interact with molecules to produce light emissions that resemble spotlights or curtains, among other unique colours and patterns.