40 Tweets That Perfectly Captured The Northern Lights Over Ireland And The UK Last Night

Last night the Aurora Borealis was active in the skies above Ireland and the UK for a few hours, and people didn’t waste any time in getting out there to take some brilliant snaps and timelapses.

The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon that happen when solar particles in the atmosphere begin interacting with the magnetic fields around the Earth. It is extremely unusual that they would be seen so widespread, with most people going to the far north of Scotland or Scandinavia to see them.

Here are 40 tweets from around Ireland and the UK last night that show what a truly magical spectacle those elusive lights are… 

We have #aurora coming through the clouds in Cork!

— Aurora alert Ireland (@Aurora_ireland) March 6, 2016

Urban Northern Lights Belfast@barrabest @TamithaSkov @Aurora_ireland @VirtualAstro @officialcoolfm @WeatherCee pic.twitter.com/UgIa7lxXst

— Tam Mullen (@TamMullen) March 6, 2016

#justwow #aurora @Aurora_ireland @NorthLightAlert @WeatherCee @IrishCentral @IrishTimes pic.twitter.com/L5yuTorHMt

— Tyler Collins (@tylerc0llins) March 6, 2016

#AuroraBorealis @wildatlanticway @Aurora_ireland @Failte_Ireland pic by @OkanegGerard @deshocks pic.twitter.com/wlbPRq0Ct0

— Tullyarvan Mill (@TullyarvanMill) March 6, 2016

@Aurora_ireland out the back door in ballymena Co. Antrim. (Off the back of camera) pic.twitter.com/2RmIDbB5mw

— Kieran Scullion (@scullionkieran) March 6, 2016

Great updates from @Aurora_ireland – Otherwise would have missed this in Belfast. Jut had to look out the window! pic.twitter.com/kNO0mLlkK1

— Aidan McPeake (@aidan365) March 6, 2016

#NorthernLights visible over Crumlin- who needs Iceland?! @barrabest @newslineweather @aurorawatchuk @Aurora_ireland pic.twitter.com/Lawx1zy8Xf

— Matt Lewis (@mattulewis) March 6, 2016

Aurora at Downhill Demesne @NTDownhill @barrabest @WeatherCee @Aurora_ireland @Aurora_ireland @AstronomyIRL pic.twitter.com/MUY2JuEhfD

— North Coast Snapper (@Northcoastsnap) March 6, 2016

Aurora Borealis over the Giants Causeway tonight… Stunning! #aurorachasers #northernlightsireland @Aurora_ireland pic.twitter.com/pHnKRRIiSP

— Caz Burgess (@cazburgess) March 6, 2016

Heavy cloud cover in S.Donegal but here’s a couple of images of the northern lights I took from outside Ballyshannon pic.twitter.com/I4syaKNnOk

— Donna Martin (@DonnaMartin03) March 6, 2016

Greencastle Castle #AuroraBorealis @StormHour @Aurora_ireland @barrabest @WeatherCee @aurorawatchuk pic.twitter.com/wZBpeOqvSN

— Stephen Rooney (@ArtistRooney) March 6, 2016

#AuroraBorealis #aurora Greencastle Co Down @barrabest @Aurora_ireland @StormHour @MeaneysWeather @newslineweather pic.twitter.com/Wrrq9vgNFt

— Stephen Rooney (@ArtistRooney) March 6, 2016

#Aurora from Ballynamona beach #ballycotton tonight. @Aurora_ireland pic.twitter.com/DdpOV21HAC

— Rónán McLaughlin (@romclaughlin) March 6, 2016

Great views of #aurora on the Warren Road, Donaghadee @Aurora_ireland pic.twitter.com/Odx33dl1iE

— Jules (@pedalin) March 6, 2016

Cracking aurora tonight, I pulled over to get this @IOMAurora @Aurora_ireland @aurorashetland #aurora pic.twitter.com/nTEvEbCrVJ

— Wardy (@manxy9) March 6, 2016

The Aurora from Ballinderry Bridge @Aurora_ireland @ArmaghPlanet @WeatherCee @barrabest pic.twitter.com/qMzADYo7vy

— John O’Neill (@Sperrinsphotos) March 6, 2016

Few snaps from impromptu stop in B’shane tonight. @aurora_Ireland @barrabest @discoverni #aurora #northernlights pic.twitter.com/vNUGGMmuBh

— Colin Wright (@colinwright89) March 6, 2016

This happened first aurora (one of many photos) #aurora #AuroraBorealis @Aurora_ireland @aurorawatchuk pic.twitter.com/nbvVvZISaK

— samantha patterson (@sammiep12) March 6, 2016

Another photo of the #aurora seen from Cork tonight.@Aurora_ireland pic.twitter.com/hCvJyoMV6K

— Colm Ryan (@colm_ryan) March 6, 2016

Tonights show @newslineweather @ILoveNorthCoast @Aurora_ireland @WeatherCee @ScenesOfUlster pic.twitter.com/1Uodl4uPtG

— Paul Harvey (@Paultojo2003) March 6, 2016