Parts of the UK have been handled to a spectacular show of the Northern Lights final night time.

Also often known as the Aurora Borealis, it is probably the most dazzling shows within the night time sky.

Lancaster University's AuroraWatch, run by the Space and Planetary Physics group, issued a "red alert" - which means seeing the phenomenon was very "likely".

The spectacle is most normally related to Scandinavian international locations in Europe however is typically seen within the UK.

It isn't seen south of Scotland - however final night time, stargazers reported sightings in Northumberland, the Lake District, Greater Manchester and as far south as Cornwall.

Vivid inexperienced, purple, pink and yellow streaks have been witnessed by means of the night time sky, with individuals posting photos on X, previously often known as Twitter, describing the present as a "fantastic display".

What causes the phenomenon?

According to the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the colorful lights we see within the night time sky are brought on by exercise on the solar's floor.

Solar storms on a star's floor give out large clouds of particles charged with electrical energy, which may enter the Earth's ambiance in a short time.

"These particles then slam into atoms and molecules in the Earth's atmosphere and essentially heat them up," Royal Observatory astronomer Tom Kerss stated.

"We call this physical process 'excitation, but it's very much like heating a gas and making it glow."

And so, what we're seeing are atoms and molecules in our ambiance colliding with particles from the solar.

How do I see the Aurora Borealis from the UK?

The additional north you might be, the extra doubtless you might be to see the show - when you're on X, take a look at @aurorawatchuk, the place the area physicists at Lancaster University will tweet when the Northern Lights could also be seen from the UK.

The circumstances nonetheless should be proper: darkish and clear nights with as little mild air pollution as attainable.