Northern Lights spectacular in Cumbria’s skies

The Northern Lights put on a spectacular show for most of Cumbria last night as the biggest solar storm in 20 years hit the UK.

They became visible after one of the strongest geomagnetic storms for years hit Earth.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare solar storm warning, and clear skies meant a dazzling display was visible from all over the UK and the world.

The Northern Lights – or aurora borealis – are caused by charged particles from the sun hitting gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The colours are due to different gases in the atmosphere being energised by the charged particles. Oxygen atoms glow green, while nitrogen atoms glow pink, blue and purple.

There is a chance that the Northern Lights will make a reappearance tonight.

We’d love to see your photos of the Northern Lights over Cumbria – email them to [email protected], and tell us where you saw them!