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The magical Northern Lights display captured across Wales

13 Aug 2024 3 minute read
The Northern Lights as seen from Aberaeron (Credit: Neil Preston)

The Northern Lights has lit up the night sky with rare sightings across the whole of Wales.

The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, were spotted across the country accompanied by the Perseid meteor shower, treating people to quite the stunning celestial spectacle.

As the charged particles from the sun collided with gases in our planet’s atmosphere near the magnetic poles, those across all parts of Wales saw a glimpse of the breathtaking Aurora Borealis.

Currently in its most active phase of the sun’s 11-year cycle, the UK is witnessing an increased frequency of Northern Light sightings.

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

In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.

When activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area – which explains why displays can be occasionally seen as far south as Wales.

The Northern Lights as seen from Aberaeron (Credit: Neil Preston)

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