Thousands of Britons were left awestruck overnight as the Northern Lights turned skies hazy purple and green, reaching unusually far south – with sightings reported as far down as Devon, Hampshire and Kent. Striking photographs showed stars dotted across the horizon against the silhouettes of buildings and trees, with many stargazers uploading pictures taken from their own back gardens.

The aurora borealis is normally visible only from near the Arctic Circle and northern Scotland. But strong solar activity on Friday and Saturday evenings pushed the display deep into England, thrilling sky-watchers far beyond the usual latitudes.

What caused the display

The lights were triggered by powerful solar eruptions called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The Met Office said three CMEs were heading towards Earth, with the potential to arrive on October 9, 10 and 11. When the stream of charged particles is captured by Earth’s magnetic field and directed into the atmosphere, collisions with gases release energy as visible light – producing the characteristic green and purple curtains. Experts have said 2026 would be a peak year for aurora-spotting, with the Sun in a heightened state of activity as part of its roughly 11-year natural cycle.

Could the lights return?

The Met Office said sightings could continue on clear nights up to Tuesday, with the best chances in Scotland and northern England and a chance of some visibility in Northern Ireland. Anyone hoping to catch the lights is advised to look northwards away from bright streetlights – and to look through a phone camera, which often picks up the colours more clearly than the naked eye. The aurora typically appears between 10pm and 2am and can be spotted from September to early April. With dark, moonless skies forecast and further geomagnetic activity possible, this weekend’s display may not be the season’s last southern surprise.