Northern lights and Perseid meteor shower put on dazzling display
People across the country were able to catch a glimpse of nature showing off
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Stargazers were treated to a dazzling sight as the Perseid meteor shower passed through the sky, and in some areas through the northern lights.
Also known as the aurora borealis, the Northern Lights put on a stunning show across the UK on Monday night – with more expected on Tuesday evening with widespread clear skies.
Marina Muttik, 29, a software engineer who lives in Berkhamsted, Herts, but witnessed the northern lights and Perseid meteor shower from Chesham, Buckinghamshire, described the experience as “humbling”.
She told the PA news agency: “The aurora was peaking at around 11.30pm, which is when some of the pink became more visible to the eye.
“It’s always humbling watching the night sky, and the Perseid meteor shower added a touch of magic – perfect for making a few wishes.”
Kirsty Louise, who is 30 and based in Plymouth, Devon, captured photos of the meteor shower on her phone at around 11.20pm on Monday.
She said: “Funnily enough I couldn’t actually see what I saw on my phone. When I saw the photos it made me feel happy, I absolutely love anything to do with space, so seeing that and knowing I caught it on my phone made me feel happy.”
In Northumberland, the shooting stars from the Perseid meteor shower were seen darting through the sky which had turned hues of purple and green over the Bathing House in Howick.
According to the Met Office, the northern lights are usually best witnessed in Scotland, northern England, North Wales and Northern Ireland.
However, under certain space weather conditions – a particularly strong geomagnetic storm – they can be seen throughout the UK.
The natural light display is caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with Earth’s magnetic field.
The colour display depends in part on what molecules the charged particles interact with.
The Met Office forecast suggests the activity should return back to background levels on Tuesday, with any visible aurora restricted to the far north of Scotland.
Clear skies across the country also meant people were able to catch a glimpse of the Perseids on Monday night.
The event is associated with the dusty debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years.
The meteoroids from the comet, mostly no bigger than a grain of sand, burn up as they hit the Earth’s atmosphere at 36 miles per second, to produce a shooting stream of light in the sky.