Northern Lights put on magnificent display in Sussex and Brighton

Photos of the dazzling natural phenomenon, also known as aurora borealis, were captured across the county - even in more light-polluted areas like Brighton and Crawley.

Eager skygazers flocked to Ditchling Beacon and Devil's Dyke, both of which are designated dark sky discovery sites, to see the Northern Lights more clearly.

Aurora borealis was still visible as clouds rolled in over Worthing (Image: Jade Kinnett)

The Met Office said relatively clear skies were forecast for much of the UK, creating a “decent chance of visibility”.

A spokesman for the forecaster said there had been “more space weather events in recent months”, including the Northern Lights, because the sun was nearing the peak of its solar cycle.

The Northern Lights over Arundel Cathedral (Image: Stuart Williams)

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said there was a chance of some visible auroras across parts of the UK on Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday.

The auroras on Earth, which are most commonly seen over high polar latitudes but can spread south, are chiefly influenced by geomagnetic storms which originate from activity on the Sun.

Pinks and a hint of green were visible in Upper Beeding (Image: Samantha Worsfield)

The sun works on a cycle of around 11 years called the solar cycle – with peak sunspot activity on the surface of the Sun referred to as solar maximum.

Read more: How to see Northern Lights in the UK

Aurora borealis above Rottingdean windmill (Image: Philip Forsyth)

Sunspots give the potential for Earth-directed releases of large bursts of energy, called coronal mass ejections, which can lead to aurora visibility.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.