Northern Lights illuminate London skies with colourful displays

Skygazers across the capital have been treated to a stunning show of the Northern Lights – with experts saying there could still be more to come.

The Aurora Borealis is usually only be visible in high latitude countries such as Canada, Iceland and Finland, but could be seen as far south as London and the Home Counties on Thursday night due to a peak of solar activity.

The dazzling natural phenomenon was captured across the region:

The sun has now entered its period of greatest activity, which means Britons could be seeing more colourful displays of the aurora borealis until the middle of next year.Our home star typically follows an 11-year-cycle, with periods of intense activity followed by a quiet phase.

During its active bursts, also known as solar maximum, the sun releases charged particles that travel through space at speeds of around one million miles per hour.

Some of the particles are captured by the Earth’s magnetic field and collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules in the atmosphere.

These atoms and molecules then shed the energy they gained from the collision, emitting light at various wavelengths to create colourful displays in the night sky.

The current peak is expected to until mid-2025, according to the Royal Astronomical Society.The southern lights, or aurora australis, can be observed in Antarctica, New Zealand and Australia.

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