Northern Lights spotted over East Midlands

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Northern Lights, Hope ValleyImage source, Maso
Image caption,

The Northern Lights put on a show in the Hope Valley, in the Derbyshire Peak District

Photographers have captured the aurora borealis over the East Midlands for the second time this month.

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

People in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire were lucky enough to capture incredible scenes late on Monday.

Image source, jocktodd
Image caption,

The aurora shone over Tideswell, Derbyshire

Neil Pledger said he had always wanted to catch the aurora locally to him in Warsop, Nottinghamshire, "but it rarely happens".

He said: "There's a lot of light pollution in this area so it was hard to gauge looking at the back of my camera, but I couldn't believe it when I started to see a faint wisp of green and purple show up on my back screen.

"I'm well pleased to have caught it so local, certainly one off my bucket list."

Image source, Neil Pledger
Image caption,

It is a rarely seen sight in more built-up Warsop in Nottinghamshire

Nigel Wood said he used an app that told him the aurora might be visible at about 21:30 BST.

Although it was not visible to the naked eye, his camera captured an image - the third time he said he has seen it from Langar, Nottinghamshire, so far this year.

Image source, Nigel Wood
Image caption,

Nigel Wood said he had seen the aurora three times this year in Langar, Nottinghamshire

Image source, pacamac
Image caption,

A serene sight over Hulland, Derbyshire

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