Incredible picture of Northern Lights captured near Souter Lighthouse

Daniel Lawton from Peterlee took the beautiful picture of the aurora borealis, more commonly known as the Northern Lights, on Friday, August 19 at around 10.30pm near Souter Lighthouse after waiting for an hour and a half for the perfect shot.

The photographer, who has his own firm DLawtonphotography, travelled to South Tyneside especially to take the picture.

Daniel said: “It was my first time ever seeing the northern lights and it was incredible, I really wasn’t expecting to get the shot so I was over the moon, really happy I managed to get it.”

The northern lights are one of several astronomical phenomena called polar lights, or aurora polaris, which are shafts or curtains of coloured light visible on occasion in the night sky.

The lights appear as large areas of colour including pale green, pink, shades of red, yellow, blue and violet in the direction due north.

According to the Met Office the northern lights will be most active during the Equinox and Solstice (vital parts of the astronomical calendar which determine the transitions between the seasons) in September and October.

A spokesperson said: “The best conditions to view the lights are when the sky is dark and clear of any clouds. Cloud cover ultimately blocks the view of the light.

"Ideally, the lights will be best viewed away from any light pollution, in remote areas, facing the northern horizon - north facing coasts produce some of the best viewing locations.”