Monday’s spectacular display was the result of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) – when the Sun emits really large clouds of particles.
The dramatic colours are 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.
The Met Office said “severe geomagnetic storms” were observed on Monday evening, producing “widespread auroras visible across the UK, with reports extending as far south as northern Italy”.
The activity is expected to decline but might remain visible in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland on Tuesday, forecasters added.