Northern Lights dazzle in spectacular show across North West skies

Further sightings of the aurora borealis have been captured by amateur photographers as the phenomenon lit up the skies of northern England in spectacular fashion.

Enthusiasts stayed up late in the hope of catching the spectacle in Morecambe and Carnforth in Lancashire and on the Isle of Man on Monday evening.

In moments, the skies glowed with a less common purple hue, which weather forecasters described as "less common".

It is the second time this month the lights have been spotted over England.

Liz, from Lancashire, said she witnessed a "fabulous" display over Warton Crag in Carnforth.

Elsewhere in Lancashire, skies in Morecambe gleamed purple.

Kay Crewdson, BBC weather forecaster

The phenomenon occurs when atoms in the Earth's high-altitude atmosphere collide with energetic charged particles from the Sun, creating light.

The charged particles "excite" gases in our atmosphere and make them glow - just like gas in a fluorescent tube.

The colours depend on the type of gas - a red or green glow is oxygen and the blue and purple colours are produced by nitrogen.

Last night cloud cleared enough for weather watchers to capture some beautiful blue and purple images. They are less common and tend to appear during a strong solar storm.

Sightings are likely to become more regular over the next few years as we approach the peak of a period of solar activity in 2025.

Purple skies were also spotted by photographers on the Isle of Man.

Tash, from Peel, saw the spectacle at about 21:00 BST.

Aurora hunters in Yorkshire, Derby and Norfolk were also eager to capture the display.

Rich Smith, who set up his camera on the North York Moors, said it was "by far the best he had seen it".

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