Channel Islanders capture stunning show of colour as meteor shower and Northern Lights combine

Channel Islanders have been treated to a rare and spectacular show as the dark skies turned technicolour across both Bailiwicks on Monday night.

The Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights are more commonly seen in Scotland but combined with the Perseid meteor shower for a dramatic natural display across the British Isles.

The dazzling demonstration was captured on camera by a number of people who stayed up to see it into the early hours of Tuesday morning (13 August).

The Northern Lights are a result of solar storms that cause the sun to throw out huge bursts of energy and plasma, these then react with gases in the Earth's atmosphere to create greens (Oxygen) as well as pinks, blues and purples (Nitrogen).

The Perseid meteor shower is created by dusty debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle which orbits the Sun once every 133 years.

The small meteoroids, often no bigger than a grain of sand, burn up as they hit the Earth's atmosphere, creating a shooting stream of light.

Here are some of the best pictures taken across the Channel Islands:

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