Northern Lights dazzle leaving sky gazers in awe

The skies above parts of Wales were lit up in a spectacular display of the Northern Lights on Tuesday night.

Sky gazers were treated to a display of Aurora Borealis overnight and there is a good chance of seeing them again on Wednesday evening.

That is because the Sun is going through an active phase experiencing a number of eruptions, called Coronal Mass Ejections. These send solar particles towards the Earth.

It is the interaction of these particles with the Earth's atmosphere that create the stunning light displays seen in the sky.

What time and where can I see the Northern Lights?

According to the UK Met Office Space Weather forecast, the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights - or aurora - will be across the northern half of the UK. But there is also a chance in clear skies further south.

Current predictions indicate the strongest aurora will happen before midnight, although timings are always tricky with this spectacular event.

Our Weather Watchers shared pictures taken throughout the evening and into the early hours.

As ever, the chance to see the Northern Lights will depend on favourable weather conditions and some clear skies.

What causes the Northern Lights?

The northern lights occur as a consequence of solar activity and result from collisions of charged particles in the solar wind colliding with molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere.

What are the best conditions to see the Northern Lights?

The best conditions to view the lights are when the sky is dark and clear of any clouds.

Cloud cover ultimately blocks the view of the light. Ideally, the lights will be best viewed away from any light pollution, in remote areas, facing the northern horizon - north facing coasts produce some of the best viewing locations.

The aurora is sometimes more clearly viewed through a camera lens.

So what is in the forecast?

On Wednesday there is a less likely chance of seeing clear skies overnight.