Met Office image from space shows stunning Northern Lights over UK on Thursday night

The Northern Lights seen across UK skies on Thursday night were also visible from space, an incredible Met Office image shows.

People in Greater Manchester and across the UK were treated to a stunning display of the aurora borealis last night (Thursday) - as spectacular pinks, purples, blues and greens filled the skies in the evening and into the early hours of this morning (Friday).

Stunning pictures of the natural phenomenon were captured all over the region - you can view our picture gallery HERE.

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And the Met Office has posted on X/Twitter to share that not only were the Northern Lights visible across the country, they could also be seen from space.

Sharing a satellite image of where the aurora borealis could be seen in the northern hemisphere, the Met Office wrote: “The #northernlights were visible across much of the country last night, but they were also visible from space, as shown in this low light satellite image.

“With the #aurora showing up as a pale yellow ribbon of colour across northern latitudes.”

Elsewhere, the Met Office issued an update which revealed that cloudier skies were going to limit the chances of seeing the Northern Lights on Friday night.

The Met Office had previously said that Thursday night was the 'main focus in terms of any aurora visibility', indicating that the lights might be strongest at around 10pm on Thursday. However, the forecaster had added the lights could possibly appear between 10pm and 11pm on Friday night too.

But, in a X/Twitter update posted on Friday morning, the Met Office delivered some unwelcome news for people hoping to be treated to another sight of the aurora borealis.

The Met Office wrote: “Cloudier skies tonight will limit the chances of seeing the #northernlights, however Scotland offers the best chance of seeing the Aurora.”

Previously, a spokesperson for the Met Office said there had been 'more space weather events in recent months', including the Northern Lights, because the sun was nearing the peak of its solar cycle. The auroras on Earth, which are most commonly seen over high polar latitudes but can spread south, are chiefly influenced by geomagnetic storms which originate from activity on the sun.

The sun works on a cycle of around 11 years called the solar cycle – with peak sunspot activity on the surface of the sun referred to as solar maximum. Sunspots give the potential for Earth-directed releases of large bursts of energy, called coronal mass ejections, which can lead to aurora visibility.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles. As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.