Spectacular display of Northern Lights seen in Melksham

THE Northern Lights made a rare and a spectacular appearance over Melksham earlier this month, with many residents sharing photos of the phenomenon.

The lights, known as the aurora borealis, can only  usually be seen in northern countries like Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Norway. However, they were seen in many parts of England including Melksham and the South West, on Friday 10th May.

The lights occur when charged particles from the Sun collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles. Before the display, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a rare G5 solar storm warning, drawing attention to the chances of seeing the lights.

One resident said, “It was absolutely amazing. Even though I have seen them before in Iceland, they weren’t as strong as the solar storm that we were lucky to witness on Friday.”