In pictures: Aurora borealis lights up Northern Ireland skies

Skies across Northern Ireland have been illuminated by the aurora borealis, with the night sky streaked with green, yellow, and red.

Whilst commonly associated with countries closer to the Arctic circle, such as those in Scandinavia, they can occasionally be seen in Northern Ireland as well as other parts of the United Kingdom.

They are best seen in darkness, away from any light pollution. The lights generally extend from 50 miles to as high as 400 miles above the Earth's surface.

On Sunday night, many people took to social media to share their pictures of the lights.

Portrush-based surfer Al Mennie shared these spectacular images of the skies above his native north coast.

Others sent their pictures directly to UTV.

The Northern Lights could be seen in Co Tyrone. Credit: Brenda Hegarty

Brenda Hegarty captured this shot of the lights in Scraghey, Castlederg on Sunday night.

The lightshow could be clearly seen a few miles away in Strabane as well.

The mesmerising colours of the Aurora Borealis were visible in Strabane. Credit: Richard Nicholl
The Northern Lights can produce a spectacular light show when skies are clear. Credit: Maureen Kane

Maureen Kane sent this from Dunluce Castle near Bushmills shortly after 9pm.

While Ken Cox shared the following.

A colourful haze fills the night sky. Credit: Ken Cox
It could be seen from Donaghadee as well. Credit: Evan Boyce

The lights were on full display at Portavoe Beach in Donaghadee as well.

And Anna Cox shared a few images from Dungiven on Sunday evening.

The lights were glowing in towns and cities across Northern Ireland. Credit: Anna Moore

The Northern Lights puzzled people for centuries - but scientists say it occurs when particles from space enter the Earth's atmosphere at speed.

These electrically charged particles are attracted to the magnetic North and South Pole.

It could also be seen across other parts of the UK on Sunday night.

The national weather service tweeted: “A coronal hole high speed stream arrived this evening combined with a rather fast coronal mass ejection leading to #Aurora sightings across the UK.”

In a separate tweet, it encouraged users to upload pictures of any other sightings using the hashtag #LoveUKWeather.

The Met Office has said that the lights are likely to be seen again on Monday night.

Here are a few tips for seeing the aurora, courtesy of the Met Office:

  • You need a clear night with no cloud cover

  • Find a dark location with no light pollution

  • Look toward the northern horizon

  • Be cautious that geomagnetic activity can cause disturbances to satellite navigation (GNSS/GPS etc)

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