Peterborians were treated to a rare and incredible sight over the weekend – a brilliant night-time display by the Northern Lights!
The show started shortly after darkness fell on Friday (May 10) when cascades of light, eerie and silent, began to appear in the skies to the north.
The beautiful display delighted onlookers by streaming through vibrant hues of purples, greens, blues and red.
Ace PT photographer and renowned astrophotographer David Lowndes was one of those mesmerised by the impromptu night show.
"It was incredible,” he said: “a real once-in-a-lifetime event.”
It is rare for the Northern Lights – officially know as Aurora Borealis – to be seen so clearly this far south.
The only reason we could enjoy the display is because the Earth was being hit by an intensely strong geomagnetic storm at that time.
David, who keeps a careful track of Aurora activity, described the the readings created by the storm as “gob-smacking.”
Of course, our trusty snapper wasn’t the only person to capture the majestic display.
Lots of people took photos of the memorable event, and many of them were kind enough to share their fab shots with us here at the PT.
Enjoy!
1. Northern Lights dazzle over Peterborough!
This lovely composition was snapped by Natasha Godfrey's brother near Oundle Road. Photo: UGC
2. Northern Lights dazzle over Peterborough!
Chris McGregor captured this epic explosion of colour in Helpston Photo: Chris McGregor
3. Northern Lights dazzle over Peterborough!
Another incredible shot captured by the inimitable Mr David Lowndes, this time looking towards the west of the city skyline. Photo: David Lowndes
4. Northern Lights dazzle over Peterborough!
A lovely shot of the night time display over New England taken by Tony Spurrier Photo: Tony Spurrier