Northern Lights: Explosion of colour in the night sky

This time last year, the Northern Lights lit up the skies of Northern Europe. Even in the mid-latitudes, they could be seen with the naked eye shortly after midnight.

This video above was taken from the German island of Sylt in the North Sea, showing how a night like any other can turn into a mystical and magical event when the Northern Lights shine through.

The Northern Lights are a phenomenon that can be seen mainly in polar regions. It is the sun that creates the beautiful play of colours when solar winds hurl charged particles towards the earth.

The Earth's magnetic field deflects the particles towards the north and south poles. In the upper atmosphere, solar particles collide with air molecules, causing them to reflect the beautiful colours.

Have you ever seen them dance above you in the sky before? Send in your pictures here for a chance to be featured in our weekly user images round-up.