The skies of Derry are lit up by the Northern Lights

The Northern Lights once again brought the skies of Derry to life, a phenomenon that was captured by people across the UK.

The lights, also known as aurora borealis, shone brightly across Derry; it was the strongest and most widespread showing of the phenomenon in the UK since May.

It may be possible that the lights may make another appearance on October 11 as solar activity weakens.

The Northern Lights were visible right across the UK and parts of continental Europe after an extremely geomagnetic storm - G5 - which is the highest on the 1–5 scale.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth's atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.

The auroras are most commonly seen over high polar latitudes and are chiefly influenced by geomagnetic storms that originate from activity on the Sun.

What used to be a once in a lifetime experience for people living in Derry, with people previously needing to make a trip to Iceland or the Arctic Circle, has now become a more regular occurrence.

A long-exposure camera is advised to be used by meteorologists to capture the auroras, as the rarity is not always visible with the naked eye.

The increase in sightings in 2024 has been helped by the sun currently reaching a ‘maximum’ in its 11-year solar cycle.

This is when the sun’s activity is at its highest, when there is a period of increased solar activity, marked by more sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections.

(Photos taken by an individual visiting their Wife’s parents in Grangemore Park in Derry. Very clear Northern Lights)