The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, were visible across the UK on Sunday (February 26) and Monday night.

People across Lancashire have been sharing their own pictures of the the light phenomenon, which was seen in Blackburn, Lancaster, Morecambe and beyond.

Craig Smith, a construction worker from Blackburn, took a picture of the northern lights above his home town.

Lancashire Telegraph: Northern Lights in BlackburnNorthern Lights in Blackburn (Image: Craig Smith)

He said:  “I’ve seen the lights on several occasions from home [and they are] always great to see.

“The [coronal mass ejection] that hit Earth yesterday evening put on a great show.

 

“The lights were dancing. It is just a shame the clouds began rolling in just as it started.”

Jonathon Moore captured a snap of the lights over Morecambe Bay on Monday.

Lancashire Telegraph: Northern Lights in MorecambeNorthern Lights in Morecambe (Image: Jonathon Moore/Twitter, @altymoore1)

He said: “Northern Lights flickering over Morecambe Bay from Rossall point, Lancashire, this evening.”

Brandon Lee Keefe took a snap of the northern lights from his bedroom window in Lancaster.

Lancashire Telegraph: Northern Lights in LancasterNorthern Lights in Lancaster (Image: Brandon Lee Keefe)

Carol Sharpe took some gorgeous pictures in Carnforth.

Lancashire Telegraph: Carol Sharpe took pictures of the Northern Lights in Carnforth Carol Sharpe took pictures of the Northern Lights in Carnforth (Image: Carol Sharpe)

She said: “I sat up on Summer House Hill for ages waiting for the clouds to clear but gave up when we started to freeze.

“I was walking back down Coach Road and something made me turn and there it was, the Northern Lights. It was a once in a life time experience.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Carol Sharpe took pictures of the Northern Lights in Carnforth Carol Sharpe took pictures of the Northern Lights in Carnforth (Image: Carol Sharpe)

Staff at the Holiday Cottage, The Lodge at Beacon Fell, also managed to take a picture of the lights. The image is looking towards Bleasdale and Parlick.

Lancashire Telegraph: Northern Lights at Beacon FellNorthern Lights at Beacon Fell (Image: Instagram/ @thelodgebeaconfell)

A spokesperson said: “We got treated to the Northern Lights in our back garden last night, which makes up for not seeing them in Iceland last month.

“The Lodge at Beacon Fell is situated in an official Dark Skies Discovery Site in the Forest of Bowland so the sky is always so full of stars.

“The hot tub is perfectly positioned for watching the moon rise over Beacon Fell and taking in all the stars. It’s a great spot for sky gazing!” 

Royal Museums Greenwich explains on its website that the lights are caused by solar storms on the surface of the sun giving out clouds of electrically charged particles which can travel millions of miles and collide with the Earth.

Most particles are deflected away but some are captured in the Earth’s magnetic field and accelerate down towards the north and south poles, colliding with atoms and molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, according to the observatory.

The lights are the product of this collision between atoms and molecules from the Earth’s atmosphere and particles from the sun.