IN PICTURES: Northern Lights spotted over Teddington

By Oliver Monk

13th May 2024 | Local News

The Northern Lights captured over Teddington. (Photo: Becky Philpott)
The Northern Lights captured over Teddington. (Photo: Becky Philpott)

Sightings of the Northern Lights have been reported across the country – as far south as Kent and Cornwall – and Teddington was no exception.

Reader Becky Philpott was among the lucky residents who caught a glimpse of the spectacle, and has been kind enough to share them with Nub News.

While usually only seen in northern parts of the British Isles, geomagnetic solar storms meant the phenomena was visible to many around the country on Friday and Saturday (10 and 11 May), even in urban areas with significant light pollution.

While not usually visible this far south, solar storms meant people across the country could see the lights. (Photo: Becky Philpott)

These sightings are undoubtedly rare – but there is still hope for those who missed the lights, as the Sun approaches an active period in its 11 year solar cycle.

Talking to The Mirror, astronomer Greg Brown described the Sun as being at "it's solar maximum, when the sun is at its most active [...] the bursts that produce solar storms are at their most common".

"G5 class storms, the type that produced Friday's burst of aurorae, are very rare even at solar maximum," he added.

While they are difficult to predict, the astronomer has said there are signs of a similar storm approaching in the next few days, which may give Teddington's amateur astronomers one last chance to see the lights before the next decade of the Sun's cycle.

Digital cameras are more sensitive to the wavelengths of light from the aurora than the human eye, making photos of the event even more impressive. (Photo: Becky Philpott)

     

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