Northern Lights: Timelapse shows aurora borealis light up the skies for second night

  • Timelapse shows the Northern Lights in Bude

The South West was once again treated to beautiful Northern Lights displays last night (27 February).

For the second night in a row, the skies lit up across the region. The aurora is rarely visible so far south, as the Northern Lights are more likely to be seen in the polar regions.

The Met Office said yesterday the phenomenon would be visible for a second time, meaning many residents had their cameras poised for renewed displays.

The Northern Lights were seen here in Lansdown near Bath Credit: John Baginski
This picture was taken in Gloucestershire last night (27 February) Credit: Sarah Reynolds

The lights were even visible in the skies over Bristol, which is incredibly unusual as the aurora is more likely to be seen when there is little or no light pollution.

On Sunday evening (26 February) people took to social media to share photos of the lights in Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Wiltshire.

People are more likely to see the phenomenon the further north they are, but the Northern Lights have previously been recorded in areas such as Cornwall, including on Dartmoor last summer.

The aurora was visible above Bristol Credit: @Rocket_Jonny

The Met Office explained what conditions increase the likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights.

Meteorologists explained: "Ideally, the lights will be best viewed away from any light pollution, in remote areas, facing the northern horizon.

"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."