Aurora Borealis spotted in West Midlands | News

People shared pictures on social media.

People took to social media to share images of the Northern Lights, which were seen lighting up the night sky in the West Midlands.

Also known as the northern lights, they swept across Britain, even reaching as far as Ireland.

Experts said the visibility of the aurora borealis was increased on Friday due to an “extreme” geomagnetic storm.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said on Friday there was a good chance the aurora borealis would be seen.

He said: “Although the shorter nights will limit the window of visibility, there is a good chance of seeing the aurora, particularly on Friday evening and particularly in Scotland, Ireland and parts of northern England and Wales.

“There might even be visibility further south if you have the right equipment.

“Those conditions could continue into Saturday night, but we still need to work out some details on exactly where that will be.”

Mr Dixon said the combination of clear skies and increased activity from the sun reaching Earth would improve the chances of seeing the display.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

In the Northern Hemisphere, most of this activity takes place in a band known as the auroral oval, which covers latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.

When the activity is strong, it spreads out to cover a larger area – which explains why displays can occasionally be seen as far south as the UK.

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