People in parts of Bristol were astounded to see the Northern Lights dancing across the sky tonight (February 27). The same display, which is rarely seen so far south, was also seen last night in parts of the South West.
Although many Bristolians were disappointed after looking out of their windows last night, the Aurora Borealis delivered tonight. One witness took photos of a purple-green glow in the sky above the roof tops, and said the images were taken in Aust, Bristol at around 9pm.
A Met Office spokesperson said the rare sightings of the aurora borealis further south are due to the “strength” of a geomagnetic storm and the “strip of cloudless skies” in southern regions.
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Yesterday, the Met Office had urged people to look to the skies tonight, tweeting: "The Aurora Borealis may be visible as far south as central England tonight [Sunday] where skies remain clear. The Northern Lights are also likely to be seen again on Monday night."
Meteorologists from the Met Office said: "The lights generally extend from 50 miles to as high as 400 miles above the Earth's surface. The best conditions to view the lights are when the sky is dark and clear of any clouds.
"Ideally, the lights will be best viewed away from any light pollution, in remote areas, facing the northern horizon — north-facing coasts produce some of the best viewing locations. The northern lights are most active during the Equinox and Solstice in March/April and September/October."
Royal Museums Greenwich explains on its website that the lights are caused by solar storms on the surface of the sun giving out clouds of electrically charged particles that can travel millions of miles and collide with the Earth.
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