The Northern Lights, also known as an aurora borealis, lit up the sky yesterday evening (Wednesday, January 1) with residents sharing their stunning images of the natural phenomenon.
AuroraWatch UK issued an Amber Alert for sightings of the Northern Lights across the country on New Year’s Day.
The alert means the aurora was likely to be visible by eye from Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland and possibly visible from elsewhere in the UK.
A spokesperson for the Met Office said there had been “more space weather events in recent months”, including the Northern Lights, because the sun was nearing the peak of its solar cycle.
The sun works on a cycle of about 11 years called the solar cycle – with peak sunspot activity on the surface of the Sun referred to as solar maximum.
Sunspots give the potential for Earth-directed releases of large bursts of energy, called coronal mass ejections, which can lead to aurora visibility.
Residents have now shared their images of the bright pink and green hues spotted across North Worcestershire including Kidderminster, Bewdley, Redditch and Bromsgrove.
This includes Jo Slade from Friends of St John’s who captured stunning images in Bromsgrove.
In a post, Friends of St John’s said: “Wonderful Northern Lights seen from the churchyard at St. Johns Church tonight. Happy New Year.”
Other residents across Kidderminster and Redditch described the display as “incredible” and “beautiful”.
Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.
The sight of the aurora is generally easier to see the further north you go and can depend on weather conditions, but it is visible from across the UK.