Northern Lights Put on Spectacular Show Across the Sefton Coast

Residents across Sefton were treated to an extraordinary natural spectacle as the Northern Lights illuminated the night sky, with stunning photographs captured right along the coastline from Bootle to Southport.

Rare aurora sightings were reported across the borough and beyond, including Bootle, Crosby, Maghull, Formby and Southport, as vivid pinks, purples and greens danced across the horizon.

The display followed an extreme space weather alert issued by the Mer Office on Monday 19 January, after a colossal solar flare erupted from the sun. This flare released a coronal mass ejection (CME), sending a vast cloud of charged particles racing towards Earth.

According to the Met Office, the CME was expected to reach Earth late on Monday or early Tuesday, potentially triggering strong geomagnetic storm conditions. This type of solar activity can push the aurora much further south than usual, making sightings possible across large parts of the UK.

A Met Office spokesperson explained that the incoming CME could produce a G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storm, increasing the chance of auroras being visible well beyond their typical northern latitudes, depending on the exact timing of its arrival.

Auroras occur when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere near the magnetic poles. While they are normally confined to high latitudes within the “aurora oval,” powerful solar storms can cause this oval to expand allowing communities like those across Sefton to witness this breathtaking phenomenon.

For many along the Sefton coast, the timing and clear skies combined perfectly, resulting in some of the most striking aurora photographs seen locally in years a truly unforgettable night for skywatchers across the borough.