Residents across the United Kingdom were treated to a stunning display of the Aurora Borealis on Friday and Saturday evenings, with the natural phenomenon visible much further south than usual. The spectacular event, characterized by vibrant hues of pink, green, and purple, stretched from northern Scotland down to regions including Devon, Hampshire, and Kent.
The Met Office has indicated that opportunities for viewing may persist through Tuesday, provided skies remain clear. This widespread visibility is attributed to exceptionally high geomagnetic activity levels, which reached 600 nanoteslas (nT) on Saturday evening. For context, activity levels typically need to hit 200nT for the aurora to be visible in the northern UK; the recent surge made sightings across the entire country a rare occurrence.
The display was caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs)—powerful eruptions from the Sun observed late last week. These events send streams of charged particles toward Earth, where they interact with the planet’s magnetic field and collide with atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen, producing photons of colored light.
Enthusiasts captured images of the event from various locations. In Kendal, Cumbria, the lights appeared in pink and green beside bare tree branches. Views from Norfolk, North Lincolnshire, Denbighshire, and Pembrokeshire showcased pink hazes and multi-colored reflections on water. Other notable sightings included purple glows in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and vivid colors above Holmwood, Surrey, and Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire.
Experts note that 2026 is projected to be a peak year for aurora spotting due to the Sun’s heightened activity within its 11-year natural cycle. While the human eye perceives these low-light displays largely in black and white due to rod cells, cameras can capture the full spectrum of colors.
For those who missed the weekend display, the Met Office advises looking northward away from streetlights and using mobile phone cameras to spot any remaining activity, which could still occur over Scotland and similar geomagnetic longitudes until Tuesday.
Nature really put on a great show this weekend. I’ve never seen purple auroras before, quite stunning.
Is Tuesday too late to catch another show? My phone battery died before I could snap any photos last night.
Really surprised by how far south this went. Devon and Kent are quite unusual locations for such a bright display.
Cameras definitely lie about the colors. It looked mostly white to my naked eyes, which is disappointing but accurate.
I finally saw it from my garden in Kent! The green was absolutely mesmerizing.