Skies across the United Kingdom were lit up by the northern lights on Friday and Saturday evenings. People spotted the glowing display from places far south of where it is normally seen, and the show may not be over yet.
\n\nSky-watchers in Devon, Hampshire and Kent caught the aurora borealis, as the lights are also known. The Guardian in a report noted that the display is usually something people see near the Arctic Circle and in the north of Scotland, which makes sightings in southern England unusual.
\n\nWhen these particles meet Earth’s magnetic field, they get steered toward the magnetic poles. The Met Office says this happens most strongly when the solar wind’s polarity is opposite to the Earth’s. Once there, the particles crash into gases high in the atmosphere, and the collisions release energy as light.
\n\nThe gas involved decides the color. Oxygen gives off green light, and at greater heights it can produce rare red displays. Nitrogen gives blue and purple shades.
\n\nSagar is a journalist with an interest primarily in geopolitics and American domestic politics. Before joining Times Now, he wrote for Republic and Sw… View More
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world
