Spotted in the UK: Incredible display of aurora

Spotted in the UK
Incredible display of aurora

On September 26th, parts of Canada, North America, Scandinavia and even the UK were blessed by an un expected northern lights display.

People were caught by surprise on Monday night when they went outdoors to photograph Jupiter, but instead captured a jaw-dropping display of aurora overhead.

NOAA's Space Center predicted visibility as far south as 50 degrees N, with people capturing the aurora as far south as Bulmer in North Yorkshire, at about 54 degrees N.

This was due to a sudden spike in solar activity, the result of a CME (coronal mass ejection). It consequently disturbed our magnetic field, producing the brilliant display of aurora.

Aurora can be difficult to spot with the naked eye, but beautifully photographed with a few handy tips:

Long exposure is critical; often around 12-20 seconds, though some may need nearer to 30 seconds

Use a tripod to keep your camera still

Avoid being around external light sources

A fast aperture of minimum f4, but ideally f2.8

The higher the ISO, the more light you capture, but the grainier the shot

Clear skies are needed - check our

WeatherRadar

for cloud cover

The spectacular colours can be attributed to the gases present in the atmosphere. Green is associated with oxygen, whilst purple, blue, or pink are typical with nitrogen.

Auroras are caused when the sun ejects significant amounts of particles towards Earth, during periods of heightened solar activity.

This material then interacts with the Earth's magnetic fields and the gases in our atmosphere, producing the display.