LUCKY passengers on a charter flight enjoyed a rare view of the Northern Lights at the weekend.
The red, yellow and green lights of the Aurora Borealis lit up the sky above the clouds, giving a unique perspective on the celestial phenomenon.
The British Airways flight from Gatwick to just off Shetland was chartered by Aerobility, a charity who give people with disability the chance to fly.
Sky At Night experts Paul Abel, Pete Lawrence and Jon Culshaw were on hand to explain the amazing sight and the cabin lights were dimmed after take-off to let the 74 passengers’ eyes adjust to the night sky.
The aurora is usually visible only in more northern parts of the UK but on Thursday, the lights could be seen as far south as Essex and Gloucestershire as the result of a strong magnetic storm.
The display occurs when explosions on the Sun’s surface hurl huge amounts of charged particles into space. They collide with gas molecules in Earth’s atmosphere, giving off light.