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Norfolk: 'Best display' of Northern Lights captured over county

Gary Pearson Northern Lights over Norfolk, 24 March 2023Gary Pearson
The aurora borealis could be seen by the naked eye over the Norfolk coast

Images of "arguably the best display" of the Northern Lights over Norfolk have been captured.

Photographer Gary Pearson, who took photos of the aurora borealis between 00:30 and 04:00 GMT from Thornham, Titchwell and Hunstanton, said it was an "extremely vibrant showing".

It was "clearly visible to the naked eye", he said.

Weatherquest meteorologist Dan Holley tweeted that it was a "spectacular display".

"[It is] arguably the best display I've seen by eye this far south (52.5°N)," he said.

He added that the clouds had cleared in the south of the county after 23:00 and "it was essentially visible from that point onwards" and that while he took his photographs in some local fields, he "could still see the individual pillars, even in the housing estates with streetlights on".

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The natural phenomenon is created by a solar flare erupting on the Sun, sending charged particles towards the Earth which interact with our atmosphere - with visibility its strongest in the Arctic Circle.

Gary Pearson Northern lights over Norfolk, 24 March 2023Gary Pearson
Photographer Gary Pearson captured images of the aurora borealis - including above the lighthouse at Hunstanton - between 00:30 and 04:00 GMT on Friday
Gary Pearson Northern lights over Norfolk, 24 March 2023Gary Pearson
Mr Pearson said it was an "extremely vibrant showing"

Forecaster Chris Bell said the aurora was "spectacular" from his vantage point in Foxley, near Dereham, and was "one of the brightest displays I've seen here".

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