Rare sighting of Northern Lights captured above coastal town

Northern Lights were spotted over Leiston (Image: Graham Catchpole) The Northern Lights were visible over parts of Suffolk and some people managed to capture the rare sighting. The natural phenomenon – also known as Aurora Borealis – is typically seen nearer to the Arctic Circle in locations such as Norway and Iceland.

Graham Catchpole managed to capture the Northern Lights over Leiston Abbey on Saturday.

The spectacle is caused by atoms and molecules in our atmosphere colliding with particles from the sun, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.

The wavy patterns of light are caused by the lines of force in the earth’s magnetic field, and the different colours are made by different gases – the green is characteristic of oxygen, while the purple, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen.