Spectacular pictures show northern lights turn UK skies green and red
Dramatic images have emerged after the night sky above Scotland and northern England was lit up by the northern lights.
Spectacular shades of red and green could be seen on Sunday night and in the early hours of Monday morning in a phenomenon also known as aurora borealis.
Usually seen from countries such as Iceland and Norway, the northern lights are only visible from the UK on very rare occasions.
Social media users took to X to share the remarkable views from their gardens.
Sightings were reported across Scotland, including from Loch Ness and Fort Augustus and were even reported in parts of England.
Some social media posts suggest the colours could be seen as far south as Cornwall.
The lights occur when charged particles from the sun hit gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Green indicates solar particles interacting with oxygen, while purple, blue or pink hues are usually caused by nitrogen.
Reds are generally a result of solar particles interacting with oxygen at very high altitudes.
The Met Office says the northern lights are best spotted from Scotland, northern England, northern Wales and Northern Ireland.
Only under “severe space weather conditions” can the lights be seen throughout the UK, they said.
And even then, the forecaster warned, star-gazers need a clear sky and less light pollution.
