Aurora lights spread across Britain to Devon, Hampshire and Kent
The Northern Lights illuminated the sky across the UK down to the south coast on Friday and Saturday evenings, turning skies purple and green in an unusually widespread display. This rare occurrence was visible as far south as Devon, Hampshire and Kent, far beyond the northern regions where the Aurora Borealis is normally seen, due to strong solar activity levels from coronal mass ejections.
The phenomenon occurs when powerful eruptions on the Sun send streams of charged particles that are captured by Earth's magnetic field and directed into the atmosphere. The Met Office indicated sightings could continue during clear skies until Tuesday. 2026 is a peak year for aurora activity as the Sun enters a heightened state of activity within its 11-year natural cycle, and stargazers are advised to look northwards away from streetlights for the best views between 10pm and 2am.
- Northern Lights visible from south coast England due to strong solar activity
- Rare phenomenon seen as far south as Devon, Hampshire and Kent
- 2026 is a peak year for aurora-spotting in the Sun's natural cycle
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The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are a natural light display caused by the Sun's activity interacting with Earth's atmosphere. Usually, they are only visible in far northern regions, but on Friday and Saturday nights, the skies turned purple and green across much of Britain, including southern areas like Devon, Hampshire and Kent.
This unusually widespread display happens when the Sun releases powerful bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections. These send streams of charged particles towards Earth, which our planet's magnetic field captures and channels into the atmosphere, where they produce the shimmering coloured lights.
The phenomenon is more common during peak years of the Sun's natural activity cycle, and 2026 is one such peak year. The lights may continue to be visible during clear skies over the coming days, with the best viewing from around 10pm to 2am away from streetlights and looking towards the northern sky.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “UK residents are left stunned as Northern Lights illuminate sky down to England’s south coast”.