Ireland

Northern Lights across Ireland in pictures

Ideal geomagnetic and weather conditions resulted in aurora borealis lighting up sky

Northern Lights over the Voyager sculpture at Laytown beach, Co Meath. Photograph: James Grandfield
Sarah Burns's picture
Sarah Burns
Fri Oct 11 2024 - 08:10

The Northern Lights were visible in various parts across the country on Thursday night, with hues of pink and green lighting up the sky.

Ideal geomagnetic and weather conditions resulted in people being able to view the aurora borealis.

The UK’s Met Office had reported that sightings of the Northern Lights were likely on Thursday night and the early hours of Friday across northern areas of the UK due to a “coronal mass ejection”, where the sun releases larger bursts of energy.

A number of people have been sharing images of their sightings of the Northern Lights on social media.

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The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are the results of collisions between gas particles in the atmosphere and charged particles ejected from the Sun’s atmosphere. The colour of the Northern Lights will change due to the type of gas particles that are colliding.

Met Éireann has said previously that the Northern Lights are best observed in locations with very small amounts of light pollution and that parts of the west and north coast would offer the greatest chance of seeing the display.

Dublin
The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, on display in the skies over Dublin seen from Bull Island. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, on display in the skies over Dublin seen from Bull Island. Photograph: Jonah Lawless/PA Wire
The Northern Lights or Arora Borealis pictured at Dublin Airport this evening. Photograph: Gary Ashe.
The Northern Lights on display over Drumcondra, Dublin 9 last night. Photograph: Colin Coyle
Northern Lights, Ballinteer, Dublin Photograph: Barry O'Reilly
Meath
The Northern Lights visible from the mounds at the Hill of Tara, in Co Meath. photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Wicklow
Northern Lights over Brittas Bay. Photograph: Colm Hennessy
Wexford
Northern Lights over Co Wexford. Photograph: Steven Carroll
Kildare
The Northern Lights on display over the Curragh in Co Kildare. Photograph: Mark McGuire
Northern Lights over Prosperous in Co Kildare. Photograph: Paul Murtagh
Cork
The Northern Lights visible at St. Matthews Templebreedy Church and Graveyard, Crosshaven, Co. Cork. Photograph: Joleen Cronin
The Northern Lights above Bantry Bay, Co. Cork last night. Photograph: Miki Barlok
The Northern Lights above Bantry Bay, Co. Cork last night. Photograph: Miki Barlok
Northern Lights over Cork
Northern Lights over Cork
Galway
Northern Lights over Connemara (near Carna, Co Galway) last night. Photograph: Philip Berman
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