Jonny HumphriesNorth West

Steven Samosa Vivid green and yellow lights are visible in the night sky above a beach, with an iron statue of a man visible in the foreground. Steven Samosa

The Northern Lights over Crosby Beach

An unusually intense display of the Northern Lights was captured by photographers around the country last night – with some of the brightest pinks, greens, purples and reds seen across Merseyside.

Officially known as the Aurora Borealis, the phenomenon is caused by solar eruptions interacting with particles in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The Met Office said last night’s aurora was the result of a strong Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) – when the Sun emits massive clouds of particles.

The lights were visible across much of the UK, with spectacular sightings particularly along the Merseyside coast.

Natalie Cherubini Vivid pink, red and green lights are visible in the night sky above the seaNatalie Cherubini

This was the view on Meols Beach in Wirral between 20:00 GMT and 22:00 GMT

The phenomenon comes during a period of high solar activity, called solar maximum, during the sun’s 21-year cycle.

The sun has more sunspots which emit CMEs and solar flares – waves of electromagnetic radiation – and so we see more of the lights on Earth.

There was another set of sightings in November last year caused by a large solar flare erupted from the surface of the Sun.

The aurora are not always visible with the naked eye and can only be viewed with specialist camera equipment, but Monday’s stunning display was strong enough to be seen by simply looking up to the skies.

Natalie Cherubini A vivid green light in the sky illuminates the seascape on a beachNatalie Cherubini

Another shot of the green lights of the aurora above Meols Beach

Silvia Dalla, professor of solar physics at the University of Lancashire, said: “Finding a good spot to view the Northern Lights can be challenging, and conditions can change quickly.”

She described “Aurora-hunting” as a “late-night activity”, with the optimum time to view the spectacle usually from 23:00 to 00:00 onwards.

“To maximise your chances of viewing the aurora, the sky needs to be as clear as possible,” she said.

“Look northwards and try to find a place with dark skies, ideally away from a city where light pollution can interfere with the view.”

Paul Smith A view of the night sky illuminated green above a row of terraced housesPaul Smith

A strong view of the lights above West Kirby in Wirral

Christian Spooner Red, pink and green hues in the sky, dotted with cloud, above a landcape of grass covered sand dunes .Christian Spooner

The view above Formby Beach in Merseyside

Christian Spooner Red, pink and green hues in the sky, dotted with cloud, above a landcape of grass covered sand dunes .Christian Spooner

Another view from Formby Beach