Stargazers across the North East were treated to a dazzling Northern Lights display overnight.
The aurora borealis lit up regions’ skies with a stunning green and pink hues in the early hours of Sunday morning (October 11).
Fantastic pictures taken across County Durham, Teesside, and Northumberland show the spectacle clearly visible amongst the stars late last night and this morning.
Visitors in the likes of Saltburn, Skinningrove, Tunstall Reservoir near Wolsingham, and residents in Darlington were among those to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon.
The Northern Lights over Tunstall Reservoir (Image: CHRISSY TURNER)
The Met Office said the Northern Lights could be visible in the UK again on Sunday and Monday night.
“They could be a little weaker tonight (Sunday), so most likely seen across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England,” said forecaster Greg Dewhurst.
The Northern Lights over Romaldkirk, in Teesdale (Image: ALASTAIR GRAHAM)
The Northern Lights over Saltburn (Image: MARK PETER PHOTOGRAPHY)
“They may be a little stronger again on Monday night so could be seen further south into central areas.”
The spectacle can sometimes be better seen through a camera than by the naked eye.
The Northern Lights over Skinningrove (Image: Nicola Hunter)
The Northern Lights over the ruins of Dunstanburgh castle on the Northumberland coastline (Image: PA)
“Long exposure camera shots may show something each night a little further south than the above visible by eye forecast,” Mr Dewhurst added.
The Northern Lights are most visible in the time around the equinoxes in spring and autumn.It is triggered by solar activity, the Met Office said.
The Northern Lights over Darlington (Image: YVONNE ALDERSON)
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The sun emits charged particles known as solar wind, which, when they interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, are funnelled towards the magnetic poles.
As the energetic particles collide with gases in the upper atmosphere, they release energy as light.
Oxygen produces green and, at higher altitudes, red, while nitrogen creates blue and purple hues, the weather forecaster said.