Skygazers across the UK have been treated to a "spectacular" northern lights display with vivid colours dancing across the sky overnight. 

The aurora borealis was visible across Cambridgeshire and Fenland, in places such as Doddington, Ely and Huntingdon.

Photographers captured the bright streaks of greens, oranges and purples in the night sky late into the evening on Friday May 10. 

Aurora is caused by atoms and molecules in our atmosphere colliding with particles from the sun, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.

The wavy patterns of light are caused by the lines of force in the Earth's magnetic field, and the different colours are made by different gasses - the green is characteristic of oxygen, while the purple, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen.


Cambs Times: The Northern Lights were visible across Doddington on the evening of May 10.

Cambs Times: Colin Yaxley captured this stunning photo of the Northern Lights over Ely.Colin Yaxley captured this stunning photo of the Northern Lights over Ely. (Image: Colin Yaxley)

Cambs Times: Sarah Adderley captured this amazing photo of the Northern Lights across Sutton, Cambridgeshire,Sarah Adderley captured this amazing photo of the Northern Lights across Sutton, Cambridgeshire, (Image: Sarah Adderley)

Cambs Times: Jess Tierney's impressive photo of the Northern Lights over ElyJess Tierney's impressive photo of the Northern Lights over Ely (Image: Jess Tierney)

Cambs Times: Oliver Murphy took this amazing photo of the Northern Lights across RoystonOliver Murphy took this amazing photo of the Northern Lights across Royston (Image: Oliver Murphy)