 |
| Landscape photographer Chad Powell fulfilled his "lifelong dream" of capturing the lights across Newtown National Nature Reserve on the Isle of Wight./BBC |
The sky in the East of England was adorned with stunning shades of red and magenta as the Northern Lights made a striking appearance.
Reports of sightings emerged from various locations, including Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and neighboring areas.
The mesmerizing lights result from the interplay between the solar wind—a flow of charged particles from the Sun—and the Earth's atmosphere.
Richard Rawling managed to capture the aurora using his phone camera in Hingham, Norfolk, around 19:00 GMT on Sunday and expressed sheer astonishment at the sight.
Enthusiasts like Mr. Rawling rely on specialized apps to alert them to the potential visibility of the Northern Lights.
"The aurora app hinted at the possibility of a display, so we decided to glance northward," he recounted.
"Although we've witnessed the auroras in Norway and Finland, the breathtaking sight of the red-lit sky from our backyard was simply unbelievable. It was a truly amazing experience."
BC stated that sightings of the lights were documented throughout the area and across the entirety of the United Kingdom.
The phenomenon, recognized as the aurora borealis, represents an enchanting display of undulating lights that have fascinated humanity for ages.
However, despite its enthralling allure, this occurrence is a considerably forceful one.
As reported by Space, charged particles energized by the sun collide with the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere at velocities reaching up to 45 million mph (72 million kph). Fortunately, our planet's magnetic field shields us from this bombardment.
Put simply, the Northern Lights' appearance is reliant on solar activity.
