THE northern lights were snapped over Kingswinford in a rare display which wowed stargazers across the Black Country last night.

News Group Camera Club member Joanna Noble captured the scene as the stunning display of greens, purples and pinks lit up the skies of Britain and Ireland last night (Sunday February 26).

She said: "The northern lights over Kingswinford and the Black Country tonight.

"An unbelievable moment for sure!"

The Met Office said the lights may also be visible tonight (Monday February 27), although cloudy skies may limit views.

The colourful aurora, created by high-speed electrically charged particles from space colliding with gas molecules in Earth's upper atmosphere, is typically visible near the Earth's magnetic poles.

However, occasionally it can be seen in the night sky over Britain.

The head of space weather at the Met Office, Mark Gibbs, said: “The aurora will continue tonight but with cloudy skies across much of the UK, it may be too optimistic to expect clear sightings two nights in a row.

“Last night’s sighting saw the coincidence of perfect conditions, making the aurora visible on the north horizon in the south of England.

“If you have a clear sky tonight, head outside around midnight and have a look, but it is most likely to be visible from the west coast of Scotland.”

A Met Office spokesperson said the rare sightings of the aurora borealis further south in the UK on Sunday night were due to the “strength” of a geomagnetic storm and cloudless skies.