LOCALS have spotted the northern lights across Somerset and North Somerset last night (February 27).

Some keen snappers posted their photographs in Somerset Camera Club, including two stunning shots over Weston-super-Mare and Glastonbury.

Weston Mercury: Northern Lights in Weston-super-Mare.Northern Lights in Weston-super-Mare. (Image: Ian Phillips, posted in Camera Club)

The sky lit up with colour for the Aurora Borealis last night in a rare display for Somerset.

It is typically seen in areas with high latitudes, and it is usually only Scotland that are lucky enough to get a glimpse.

Weston Mercury: Northern Lights in Glastonbury.Northern Lights in Glastonbury. (Image: Dave Philpott, Somerset Camera Club.)

However, Somerset residents were able to see the natural phenomenon, many of which managed to get some brilliant shots yesterday evening.

The Met Office confirmed on late Sunday evening that "a coronal hole high-speed stream" would be combined with a "fast coronal mass ejection" allowing the Lights to be seen across the UK.

What are the Northern Lights? 

The Aurora is caused by atoms and molecules in our atmosphere colliding with particles from the Sun, according to the Royal Museum Greenwich. 

The light's wavy patterns are created by force lines in the Earth's magnetic field, with the different colours created by different gasses.

The lowest area of the Aurora is normally around 80 miles from Earth whilst the top could be hundreds of miles above Earth.