Northern Lights seen in Westbury

WESTBURY residents were treated to a rare view of the Northern Lights as they lit up the skies on Friday 10th May.  

The lights, also known as the aurora borealis, can only usually be seen in northern countries including Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Norway. However, they were seen in many parts of England including Westbury and the South West after one of the strongest geomagnetic storms for years hit Earth. 

The lights occur when charged particles from the Sun collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles. Before the display, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a rare G5 solar storm warning, drawing attention to the chances of seeing the lights.

Pictured: The Northern Lights, taken by Westbury resident Aimée Barry.