Northern Lights: EasyJet pilot turns plane around to show passengers spectacle | Tech News

The Northern Lights were seen across the UK for the second night in a row on Monday.

Also known as the Northern Lights, the spectacle can be seen across parts of southern England, including Dorset and Devon.

Perfect conditions the day before meant they were visible as far south as cornwall on Sunday.

Handout photo taken with permission of @mrmcgrath12's Twitter feed to capture the Northern Lights over Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye. Release date: Monday, February 27, 2023.
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The Northern Lights over Kyleakin, Isle of Skye. Image: @mrmcgrath12

An easyJet flight from Iceland to the UK has performed a 360 degree turn over the North Sea, allowing passengers on both sides of the plane to see the spectacle.

“Big thanks to the EZY1806 easyJet pilot from Reykjavik to Manchester who did a 360 mid-flight to make sure all passengers could see the incredible Northern Lights,” one passenger tweeted wrote.

“We are delighted that the captain on our flight from Reykjavik to Manchester last night was able to conduct a controlled maneuver to allow passengers to witness from the sky an amazing display of the Northern Lights, one of nature’s greatest attractions,” said easyJet A spokesman told Sky News.

“Our crew will always go above and beyond for our clients and we are delighted to be able to share this special view of the Northern Lights with them.”

The pilot of the Finnair flight did a similar maneuver.

The Northern Lights are usually best seen at high latitudes close to the North Pole, such as Scandinavia.

In the UK, usually only parts of Scotland and northern England are lucky enough to see the aurora.

Yesterday, the Met Office said: “Intense solar activity means another chance to see the Northern Lights tonight.

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The Northern Lights can be seen as far south as Cornwall

“Northern Scotland is a great place to see the aurora overhead, but as far south as the UK it is also possible to see closer to the horizon – *if* the skies are clear.”

On Sunday, the Met Office said a combination of “high velocity streams through a coronal hole” and a “reasonably fast coronal mass ejection” had led to sightings across the UK.

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Northern Lights seen over England on Sunday night

What Causes the Northern Lights?

According to the Royal Museums Greenwich, the Northern Lights are caused by particles from the sun colliding with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere.

The wavy patterns of light are caused by lines of force in Earth’s magnetic field, while the different colors are caused by different gases — green is characteristic of oxygen, while violet, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen.

The lowest part of an aurora is usually about 80 miles above Earth’s surface, but the top can be hundreds of miles away.

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