Northern Lights over Bishop’s Stortford: The night the north came south

Residents of the Bishop’s Stortford area were treated to an extraordinary celestial spectacle as the Northern Lights made a rare appearance.

The captivating phenomenon, typically reserved for polar regions, danced across the night sky, painting it with vibrant hues of green, blue, purple and pink.

The wondrous display was captured by many from late Friday evening into the early hours of Saturday (May 10-11) through phones and cameras, providing some awe-inspiring images.

The Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, is caused when particles from the sun interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, causing elements in the atmosphere to become energised. The green in the aurora is caused by oxygen, while hints of purple, blue and pink are caused by nitrogen.

US government scientific agency the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its first high-level warning for potential infrastructure damage by CME (coronal mass ejection) since 2005, meaning electrical utility and satellite companies had to make changes to their operations to ensure grids and networks were undamaged by the particle ejection from the sun.

Those who missed Friday night’s events could be in luck over the coming weeks, as conditions remain favourable for aurora.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to accurately predict more than 45 minutes in advance, but the sunspot activity on the sun is currently at its most intense for many years.

Be sure to buy this week’s (May 15) Bishop’s Stortford Independent, a souvenir edition of the night the Northern Lights came to Herts and Essex.

If you have Northern Lights pictures, please email them to newsdesk@stortfordindie.co.uk.