Residents in Burnham-On-Sea were treated to a spectacular sight on Monday evening (January 19th) when the Northern Lights briefly lit up the skies over the South West.
In Burnham-On-Sea, local resident Connor Bone captured these photos of the red glow in the sky near to the town’s fire station in Willis Court. He described the display as “impressive”, with the glow clearly visible despite some clouds.
A powerful solar storm brought vivid colours to the region after a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a major burst of charged particles from the Sun — reached Earth, according to the Met Office. The resulting aurora borealis was visible far further south than usual.
Meanwhile in Brent Knoll, villager Stephen Baggs also photographed the phenomenon, below. He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “It was quite cloudy but there was enough of a break in the clouds for the red aurora to be visible. It could also be seen with the naked eye.”
The northern lights were also seen at the Brue Farm housing development in Highbridge by Kyra Chambers, pictured below.
The aurora was visible across many parts of the South West around 9.15pm, offering a rare opportunity for residents to witness one of nature’s most extraordinary light shows without travelling hundreds of miles north.
