In pictures: Londoners' views of Northern Lights

11 May 2024

View of green, blue and pink northern lights above Stratford's Olympic Park and London Stadium — Image caption,
This was the view above Stratford's Olympic Park, sent in by Tom

By Liz Jackson

BBC News

Stargazing in London at night is sometimes a challenge amid the glow of city lights, but the capital received a rare treat on Friday as the Northern Lights appeared.

The lights, also known as aurora borealis, could be seen right across the country thanks to one of the strongest geomagnetic storms in years.

BBC London has pulled together some of the best images sent in by the public.

You may also get a chance on Saturday night to see them again in person.

Image showing pink and purple lights in the skies above Bromley, south-east London — Image caption,
Vibrant pinks and purples crossed the skies above Bromley

Sightings of the Northern Lights are usually limited to northern parts of the UK, and the last time an extreme geomagnetic storm hit Earth was in 2003, so Friday's event was rare.

Green, blue and pink lights in the sky behind the Queen's Theatre building, lit up by its own purple and blue lights — Image caption,
In Hornchurch, the lights put on a show behind the Queen's Theatre

The extreme geomagnetic storm that happened on Friday was categorised as the highest strength, known as G5.

Storms of this scale can potentially affect infrastructure, including satellites and the power grid, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned. However, there have been no reports of disruption so far.

A view of green and red lights over rooftops in Finchley, north London — Image caption,
Finchley was provided with an unseasonably festive display of red and blue lights

The Northern Lights - or aurora borealis - appear as bright, swirling curtains of lights in the night sky and range in colour from green to pink and scarlet.

The spectacle is caused by charged particles from the sun hitting gases in the Earth's atmosphere, which are energised and appear as different colours.