A Solar Flare Bursts Off The Left Limb Of The Sun In This Image Captured By NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory
A solar flare bursts off the left limb of the sun in this image captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory at 07:41 EST (11:41 GMT) June 10, 2014 Reuters

A lot of people spent the night on Sep. 12 outside with the hope of catching a glimpse of the beautiful Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights was expected to be seen because of the solar flares that are close to the Earth's atmosphere.

Images of the Northern Lights were captured by photographers from off the coast of County Antrim in County Down and Caithness in the north of Scotland, reported The Independent. On the evening of Sep. 12, a solar flare resulted in spectacular displays in the skies of Scotland, Ireland and some parts of northern England. The solar flare, wandering close to the Earth, threw immense clouds with charged particles toward the planet causing the beautiful display.

The Northern Lights results when there is an interaction of the solar wind with the magnetic field and atmosphere of the Earth. Solar wind is a stream of charged particles from the sun. The solar wind approaching the Earth has a tendency to distort the magnetic field of the Earth, allowing a few of the charged particles from the sun to enter the atmosphere of the Earth at the magnetic south and north poles.

The charged particles tend to excite the gases in the atmosphere which results in a glow that resembles gas in a fluorescent tube. The charged particles cause the magnetic field to disconnect from the Earth. More magnetic fields disconnecting results in the Northern Lights being seen further south.

Experts from the Space Weather Prediction Centre have warned the intensity of the solar flares could cause possible disturbances to satellite and radio transmissions. However, it claims solar flares do not harm people directly.

The scientists had advised people to sign up for an alert service to increase their chances of watching the Aurora Borealis. They recommended people in the United Kingdom to head outdoors and find a dark place which had no light pollution between 8:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m.

A number of people were disappointed, however, as they were unable to observe the Northern Lights in a few parts of the country. The predictions had said the Aurora Borealis could be seen as far as Swansea in South Wales, but it was wrong.

YouTube/Stargazer Nation™