Pictures of northern lights over Great Harwood and Mellor

The phenomenon, also known as the aurora borealis, was captured over Great Harwood and Mellor on Sunday night (November 5).

John Walsh took a picture of the northern lights from Great Harwood at 6pm, just before the rain arrived.

Shafiq Khan also took a picture of the sky, with a hint of the aurora, over Mellor.

Northern lights over Mellor (Image: Shafiq Khan - Digital)

The Lancashire Telegraph asked the Met Office if the people of East Lancashire could see the northern lights again this evening (November 6).

According to the Met Office, there is only a slim chance of spotting the lights tonight.

A spokesperson said: “It is far less likely that the northern lights will be as visible tonight. So that means people in England will have less chance of seeing this spectacle.

“Last night it was seen as far south as Cornwall. Lancashire might be a possible for some, but probably only for those with access to a dark sky on the northern horizon. Any light pollution will render the chances slim to none.”

According to the Met Office, 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.

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 northern lights are most active during the equinox and solstice in March, April, September and October.

Predominantly the northern lights are best witnessed in Scotland, North England, North Wales and Northern Ireland. However under severe space weather conditions, the lights can be seen throughout the UK.