The dazzling Northern Lights illuminated the night sky above Bolton in the early hours, with Bolton News Camera Club members up to capture the stunning displays.
My first ever view of the Northern Lights from the moors above Bolton tonight. 3 second iPhone image, not visible by naked eye. #northernlights pic.twitter.com/DR0jeVBjKj
— Dave Newton (@dave3263) August 12, 2024
Stargazers stayed up in the hope of catching the celestial wonder of not only the Northern Lights but also the Perseid meteor shower.
The beautiful Aurora Borealis could be seen in Harwood just after midnight, as well as above others areas in the borough, some were lucky enough to see shooting stars', against the clear skies.
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The Aurora Borealis, turned the sky above Bolton shades of purple, pink and green.
Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.
Anybody else lucky enough to see the #Auroraborealis this evening? Or even a shooting star or two?
— University of Bolton (@BoltonUni) August 12, 2024
🙌Northern lights & perseid meteor shower visible in #Bolton this evening.#northernlights #Aurora #Perseids pic.twitter.com/42jgT3DOLP
As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.
Perseid meteor showers associated with the dusty debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years.
The meteoroids from the comet, mostly no bigger than a grain of sand, burn up as they hit the Earth’s atmosphere at 36 miles per second, to produce a shooting stream of light in the sky.
Bolton News Camera Club member Niki Meikle captured the Northern Lights in Harwood on her iPhone with long exposure and a dark setting.
And Kirsty Yates saw the Northern Light in Bank Top Village.
Others have been sharing their stunning shots of the Northern Lights over Bolton on social media, with the University of Bolton also posting a picture of the lights dazzling Bolton stating: "Anybody else lucky enough to see the #Auroraborealis this evening? Or even a shooting star or two?"
Dave Newton posted: "My first ever view of the Northern Lights from the moors above Bolton. 3 second iPhone image, not visible by naked eye."
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