Northern Irish Lights

23 January 2012 Last updated at 18:16

Northern Lights over Northern Ireland

On 19 January a massive amount of matter and radiation was blasted out of the sun towards the Earth. There's no need to panic however, the main effect of this Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) was a spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights over northern parts of Ireland and the UK. Dedicated sky watcher Martin McKenna, from Maghera, spent 48 hours chasing the Aurora around the Antrim coastline and eventually captured these amazing images

"My girlfriend and I watched for hours while dodging cloud and showers, the aurora was vivid green, easily visible with the naked eye and extended across the entire sky from the north-west to the north reaching 30 degrees (60 full moon diameters) high" Martin explained.

The Aurora is normally only visible much further north, towards the Arctic Circle, but occasionally heightened activity in the Sun may make the phenomenon appear in more southerly latitudes

The Sun is under constant observation and scientists generally know in advance when to expect a powerful auroral display. If you want to see the Northern Lights for yourself, you can even sign up for email alerts at websites like SpaceWeather.com. Astronomers predict that the aurora may make further dramatic appearances in our skies between now and the end of March. More of Martin's photography can be seen on his website

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Northern Ireland

Northern Lights over Northern Ireland

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