19 dazzling pictures capture Northern Lights return to Shropshire skies - your photographs from the stunning display
Skies across Shropshire were illuminated in hues of green and pink by the Northern Lights last night.
Thousands of residents were treated to a late-night light show as the Northern Lights returned to the Shropshire skies on Monday (January 19).
The incredible scenes appeared to begin around 9pm, with further vibrant bursts being reported until around midnight from all over the county.
It follows a colossal solar flare on Sunday, which launched what is known as a 'coronal mass ejection' (CME) from the surface of the Sun.
The Met Office stated that "severe geomagnetic storms" were observed, resulting in "widespread auroras visible across the UK, with reports extending as far south as northern Italy."
Colours are then produced when those particles hit oxygen and nitrogen gases in the Earth's atmosphere. Oxygen atoms glow green - the colour most often seen in the Northern Lights, while nitrogen atoms emit purple, blue and pink.
Aurora shows are best through the cameras on mobile phones. Most newer phones automatically detect when you're taking photographs in the dark, but some have 'night-mode' options that make it even better.
And thanks to our readers, we're not short of proof that the whole event wasn't simply a dream. Below are some of your photographs that captured the breathtaking show.
