Aurora chasers rewarded with Northern lightshow

The refuge on the causeway to Holy Island stood out against a spectacular night sky

The Northern Lights were seen across parts of the UK on Thursday night, including some spectacular shows in north-east England and Cumbria.

The lights - known as aurora borealis - were captured by avid chasers across the region.

Forecasters had said the best chance of seeing the display would be in the first half of Thursday night.

Susan Aynsley, from Rothbury in Northumberland, said: "It was one of the best displays I've captured, I just feel really lucky to live in an area with such dark skies."

The light streamed down at Thropton Woods near Rothbury

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths creating colourful displays.

In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place near the Arctic Circle but this can often expand to cover parts of the UK and further afield.

The clear sky at Wards Hill in Northumberland was aglow

Ms Aynsley regularly goes out at night when there is a chance of spotting something above.

"We had a really stunning display in May, but this was pretty good," she said.

"It's harder to see with the naked eye but the long exposure on a camera brings out the colours more."

Pink pillers of light were seen at Blea Tarn in Langdale, Cumbria

Mark Hetherington spent "an incredible night" at Blea Tarn in Langdale, Cumbria

"The sky went nuts with visible pillars by eye," he said.

A dark path at Cartington holds the promise of something special in the distance

Darren Milne, from Houghton le Spring, drove to Holy Island off the Northumberland Coast.

"Even with cloud I managed to capture the Northern Lights coming though," he said.

Boats blaze blue at Hallington Reservoir, Northumberland

Astronomer Ian Glendinning, who lives in Holystone, near Rothbury, said: "Auroras are directly related to solar activity which runs in cycles and we are approaching a period of maximum activity, so we may see more in the months ahead including some very intense displays.

"It is a free light show and it's almost mystical and spiritual.

"It's like a connection with a force of nature which is just wonderful to see."

The Northern Lights were also seen at Skinningrove beach, near Skelton-in-Cleveland