Northern Lights sighted over North East

The Northern Lights were visible overnight, turning the skies above the north of England green and pink.

Photographs of the aurora borealis were captured across the region, with bright green hues and faint colours of pink lighting up the skies.

It was also visible in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Jonathan Vautrey, Met Office meteorologist, said Thursday night had “pretty ideal conditions” with “very little cloud”.

The lights may be visible again on Friday night, but Mr Vautrey added it looked as if it would be weaker.

What causes the Northern Lights?

The natural phenomenon occurs when charged particles collide with gases in the atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

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

In the northern hemisphere the majority of this activity takes place within the 'aurora oval' - a band covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.

If this activity is particularly strong, it expands to cover a great area, which makes it visible as far south as the UK.

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