Aurora Boralis Sheffield: Stunning pictures show northern lights near city this week

Mark Lee, from Dronfield took these stunning pictures of the aurora borealis after going out with his teenage son, Samuel, to Mam Tor in the Peak District on Thursday night – with the beautiful coloured lights visible in the dark March sky.

Mark said: “These were taken by my son and I on Mam Tor in the Peak District at approximately midnight last on March 23 The red aurora is rare and very rarely spotted in the UK.

"We have been really interested in the northern lights since we saw them in Iceland, and try to see them whenever we can. So we went out specially to see them when we realised there were clear skies.”

How to see the aurora borealis near Sheffield

Mark says there are three key factors in seeing the lights from Sheffield – an app stating when they are likely to be visible, clear skies – and finally, the element of luck!

He said he checks an app called Hello Aurora, and then looks at weather forecasts to find where the sky is likely to be clear – and on Thursday the combination worked.

He said they were delighted to be able to find the aurora, and is not sure when the chance to see it locally may come again. Mark added although it did not happen often, it could happen at any time, usually without much advance notice as to when the aurora was going to be visible.