Northern lights: Cork gets to see spectacular aurora borealis

Skywatchers across Cork and beyond were treated to a rare aurora display, with Met Éireann explaining the vivid colours

The northern lights snapped by a resident in Cobh, Co Cork, on Monday night.

Residents of Cork City and beyond were looking to the skies on Monday evening and were treated to the rare sight of the northern lights which filled the sky with a beautiful green and red aura.

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are the results of "collisions between gas particles in our atmosphere and charged particles ejected from the Sun’s atmosphere", according to Met Éireann.

The northern lights viewed from Glanmire in East Cork. Picture: Michael Crowley

Not often seen in Ireland, the phenomenon creates a stunning array of colours in the night sky. Met Éireann said: "The colour of the northern lights will change due to the type of gas particles that are colliding.

"Oxygen molecules at approximately 100km above the earth produce a greenish-yellow colour, while a red aurora can be seen when high level oxygen molecules are involved. 

"Blue or purple auroras indicate the presence of nitrogen molecules."

The aurora borealis or northern lights photographed by a resident in Glanmire, East Cork, on Monday. Picture: Michael Crowley

The forecaster added that the best places to see the northern lights in Ireland are locations with very small amounts of light pollution. 

Parts of the west and north coast would offer the greatest chance of seeing the display, it added.