COLCHESTER residents were wowed by the stunning spectacles in space last night as they gathered to watch the sky with their loved ones.
Two cosmic phenomena occurred last night and were on display for all of Essex to enjoy.
The Perseid meteor shower joined forces with the Northern Lights to create absolutely stunning scenes full of colour in the sky.
This wonderful solar event is active between 17 July and 24 August however it peaked last night, August 12, and will peak again tonight, August 13.
The northern lights occur due to solar activity and result from collisions of charged particles in solar wind colliding with molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere.
One man was fortunate enough to get a 'once-in-a-lifetime' shot of a meteor glazing across in front of the aurora borealis.
Andrew Pearson, 58, said: "The main purpose was to view the Perseid Meteors and seeing the Northern Lights was an exciting bonus.
"I was about to call it a night when an app on my phone pinged a message to say that the Aurora was likely to be visible from anywhere in the UK.
"The photo was taken from my back garden in Highwoods at around 2am on Monday morning using a mobile phone on a tripod with the built-in astrophotography setting, so definitely nothing high tech.
"I had tried over the last couple of evenings, it is a matter of luck as the camera has to be pointed at the right part of the sky at the right time which is a bit hit and miss so capturing a meteorite is one thing but against the backdrop of the Aurora is probably a once in a lifetime event!"
Lynn Sampson, 58, said: "I love star gazing, I’ve loved it since I was a child. I was obsessed with learning about astronomy at school and it stayed with me.
"I looked at the constellations with my Nan, I watched my first lunar eclipse with my Dad, and I’ve been watching the night sky ever since.
"I find being out at night very peaceful. I mostly go out on my own but I also have some great friends who love astrophotography too, so it’s great to share the experience sometimes.
"A year ago I photographed the Milky Way while up on Mount Teide in Tenerife and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had while capturing the stars.
"There is no light pollution there so you can see millions of stars. I’m always amazed when I see meteors, the aurora and the stars and planets, I never get tired of it.
"Most of the shots from the last two nights were taken at Monkwick. I’m a live-in pet sitter so I’m very lucky as I go to lots of different locations.
"I photograph the night sky whenever I can, especially if I’m staying somewhere with a much darker sky (I’m spending three weeks in Dunwich next month and it’s great for astrophotography there)."
Heidi Ammar, another resident lucky enough to see the Northern Lights, saw the incredible phenomenon with her husband and daughter.
She said: "We saw them last time from our back garden and decided to go to a darker area to get a better view this time.
"It was a fantastic experience."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here