The Northern Lights are set to be visible in various parts of the UK this week including Oxfordshire.

Stargazers across the country have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, several times already in 2024.

AuroraWatch UK has issued a red alert to indicate that another sighting may be possible all over the UK in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The most likely times are after midnight, between 3am and 8am as well as just after 11am according to the website.

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The lights are quite the sight.The lights are quite the sight. (Image: Andrew Hawkes / PA Wire)

The northern lights generally appear in high-latitude regions such as the Arctic or Scandinavia. 

Their colourful glow is caused by a stream of charged particles that have escaped the sun (known as solar wind) interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field.

The particles hit our atmosphere at high speed and combine with oxygen and nitrogen to create a multicoloured burst. A green glow is associated with oxygen while nitrogen causes the appearance of purple, blue and pink. 

Southern areas of Scotland, England and Wales are also sometimes able to catch sight of the aurora, though typically only in rural areas with little light pollution.

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Several nearby areas including Wiltshire saw the phenomenon over the weekend as stargazers were captivated by the special sight in the south.

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