THE NORTHERN Lights have become more visible than normal over Scotland as the Earth moves into a new alignment with the sun.

The aurora borealis lit up the skies over the Campsie Fells above Strathblane thrilling night sky watchers on Wednesday night.

Usually seen at the Arctic Circle and northern countries such as Finland, Sweden and Iceland, they are a consequence of activity in the sun.

The lights occur after solar energy released from the sun during a solar flare storm reaches the Earth's atmosphere.

Forecasters say that the next few weeks may be one of the best chances to see the lights because faster than normal solar winds are disturbing the Earth’s magnetic field.

A Met Office meteorologist said: “There is a chance in North England, North Wales and Scotland, it’s difficult to say really. At the moment we will see it if we have clear skies.

 

“If the wind picks up then we might see it further south. It depends on speed how we see it on Earth and what impact it has.”

The Met Office’s blog adds: “The disturbance tonight is strong, the skies for many could be clear and so the chances of seeing the aurora are good for areas such as North Wales, Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.”