The northern lights, which were visible as far north as Orkney and Donegal and as far south as Stonehenge, illuminated a large portion of the United Kingdom and Ireland on Saturday night.
For millennia, people have been enthralled by the aurora borealis, the dancing red and green lights that emerge during geomagnetic storms. At both high and low latitudes, disruptions in the Earth’s magnetic field can result in hours of breathtaking aurora displays.
Read More: Facts you need to know about the Northern Lights
The historical site in Wiltshire’s official Twitter account posted a photo along with the statement, “Northern Lights over Stonehenge last night.”
The lights, called the Aurora australis, are most visible in the region surrounding Earth’s magnetic north and south poles.
They are the outcome of interactions between solar particle matter, also known as the solar wind. Some of the particles may travel millions of kilometers before they arrive on Earth. The Earth’s magnetic field then pulls them in the direction of the polar regions.
Different amounts of energy are released as different wavelengths of light depending on which gas molecules are struck and where they are in the atmosphere; nitrogen produces a vivid red sky while oxygen produces green light.
Some photographers were able to capture the aurora while taking pyrotechnics in observance of bonfire weekend, despite the fact that light pollution makes it difficult to see the phenomenon.
The Greek god Boreas and the Roman goddess Aurora, both of whom were associated with dawn, inspired the Italian astronomer Galielo Galiliei to coin the phrase “aurora borealis” in 1619. However, a 30,000-year-old picture discovered in a French cave is claimed to represent the first documented view of the northern lights.
Last month, the lights enthralled the British as well. In the fall and winter, they should be more effective than they have been in at least ten years.
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