Grimston reader’s stunning photos of Northern Lights over Bawsey ruins

Grimston reader Julie Smart took these stunning photographs of the Northern Lights over the Bawsey ruins on Wednesday night.

The current solar storm has now weakened but with overall solar activity remaining high, more sightings in the coming weeks and months are expected.

Stargazers report that there was an increase in solar energy entering Earth's atmosphere throughout Wednesday, resulting in a strengthening of the aurora.

Solar activity peaked at around 10pm in a "severe geomagnetic storm", reaching level four out of five on the geomagnetic storm scale.

What causes the Northern Lights?

The Sun is currently at a "maximum" in its 11-year solar cycle.

This means there are lots of sunspots on the surface which are like volcanoes and occasionally erupt, releasing extra material and energy out to space.

If directed towards Earth, our magnetic field pulls the energy into Earth, entering our atmosphere at the poles and showing to us as bright lights and colourful skies.