The Northern Lights once again lit up parts of the UK in the most stunning fashion on Thursday October 10. The social media channels were flooded with eye-catching photos of this phenomenon by the people of Rye and surrounding areas. Many people could only see a glimpse of the colours but took photos anyway and were stunned to see what their phones and cameras captured.
Five months ago this happened for the first time in the south corner of England, following the most extreme geomagnetic storm in two decades which caused quite a stir locally as reported in Rye News .
These shows are rare but not entirely unexpected because the sun is expected to reach an intensively active period in its eleven-year solar cycle in 2024 and is therefore making solar storms which release large numbers of charged particles into space. When these particles collide with Earth’s magnetic field, they travel along the magnetic lines and interact with gases in the atmosphere, producing the light displays we see as auroras. This phenomenon is expected to continue intermittently as the solar cycle reaches its zenith next year, increasing the chances of seeing the aurora at lower latitudes.
Peter Camic, who captured the aurora on camera in Rye commented: “This was only the second time I have seen the Northern Lights. Walking out of the door last night I couldn’t quite believe how magical it all looked. My first viewing was a number of years ago near Chicago: so pleased to see them again.”
Rye resident Lawrence Wilson penned this haiku:
There are nights like these
I lose myself in the sky—
moon, stars, auroras
Professor Lockwood at the University of Reading is an award-winning physicist who specialises in the cutting-edge study of space weather, the Northern Lights and solar radiation – a job many of us would envy. “The present storm,” he explained, “was caused by about five coronal mass ejections launched from an exceptionally large sunspot group.”
So many people have travelled to Iceland in search of the Northern Lights and been disappointed what joy for those in the south-east who captured the lights for us all to enjoy. Thank you for sending in pictures and sharing on social media.
Image Credits: Martin Geldart , Lawrence Wilson , Matt Busbridge , Sue McGeown , Carolyn Gould , Abi Campbell , Ann Martini , Sue McGeown , Cathy Macey , Carolyn Gould , Tristan Bruce , Tristan Bruce , Paul Camic , Martin Bruce , Kt bruce .