Northern Lights sighted all over UK and you could see them again tonight

A bright pink and green Northern Lights display in the night sky over Dunstanburgh Castle on the Northumberland coastline, in the early morning of October 11, 2026.

Last night, residents across the UK were treated to incredible views of the Northern Lights.

The Aurora Borealis, mostly visible near the Arctic Circle, are most typically seen in the UK in northern Scotland.

But on Saturday, the spectacular light show could be seen as far south as Hampshire, Devon and Kent.

Up and down the country, people were able to capture impressive images of the aurora.

‘Managed to get a picture near Swindon tonight,’ one person said on social media.

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Another user said Bishopstone on the North Kent coast had enjoyed ‘an excellent show for a good hour’. ‘Definitely a “wow” night,’ they added.

The aurora borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, light up the skies over the ruins of Dunstanburgh castle on the Northumberland coastline. Picture date: Sunday October 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
The aurora borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, light up the skies over the ruins of Dunstanburgh castle on the Northumberland coastline. Picture date: Sunday October 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

What are the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights are caused by solar eruptions of charged particles, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

The Sun unleashed CMEs towards our planet at the end of last week. The stream of particles can then get captured by the Earth’s magnetic field and into our atmosphere.

Can I see the Northern Lights again?

If you missed last night’s display, you may still be in with a chance of seeing the Northern Lights as the Met Office said sightings could continue until Tuesday.

Depending on where you are – and how clear the sky is – you may be able to see them tonight.

The aurora borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, light up the skies over the ruins of Dunstanburgh castle on the Northumberland coastline. Picture date: Sunday October 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

In fact, experts have previously predicted that 2026 will be a particularly good year for spotting the Northern Lights due to increased sun activity, part of its natural cycle spanning 11 years.

But if you want to spot them, you’ll need to know how.

Find an area away from bright streetlights and look northwards through a mobile phone camera.

Without the camera, you might not be able to see the lightshow. This is because in low-light conditions at night our eyes use rod cells to see.

These cells do not perceive colour, and so we actually see in black and white.

Cameras, on the other hand, will continue to perceive colour.

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Original source Northern Lights sighted all over UK and you could see them again tonight

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