PHOTOGRAPHERS in Oxfordshire are once again poised to try and snap a picture of the Northern Lights tonight.

The Met Office has indicated that – weather permitting - another display may be seen across the country.

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, appear when particles released by the Sun collide with Earth’s atmosphere and burn gases that produce different colours.

Such displays cannot usually be seen in the south of England unless the strength of activity is higher than usual, like on Monday when the lights were photographed in Oxfordshire and even Cornwall.

Amateur photographer and astronomer Mary Spicer, 42, and her fiancée Mark McIntyre, 49, said they would be ready tonight if the lights appeared again and the sky became clear.

The couple managed to spot the lights when they appeared over Oxfordshire earlier this week, snapping some incredible shots in the early hours of Tuesday.

Miss Spicer said: “Depending on what happens, we will be ready to get out there and take pictures.

“To be able to see them in Oxfordshire is quite rare and Monday was the first time I had ever seen them with my naked eye.

“I would be surprised if we get a display as good as that again tonight, I am convinced that was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“We were very lucky to have the right conditions at the right time.”

  • If you manage to get pictures of the Northern Lights tonight then email them to news@oxfordmail.co.uk along with a contact telephone number and details of where they were taken.