Jacquie MurraySkies were awash with colour on Saturday night as the northern lights put on dazzling displays across Scotland.
Scottish stargazers had a front-row seat to the Aurora Borealis, which saw skies beam with green and pink light.
Residents from Aberdeenshire and more shared their stunning pictures of the light displays with STV News.
Auroral displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.
Jacquie MurrayLight is emitted at various wavelengths as they collide, creating colourful displays in the sky.
In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.
When activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area, which explains why displays can occasionally be seen as far south as the UK.
Jacquie MurrayIt comes after people across the UK were also treated to the light display on New Year’s Day – and if you missed out, there could be plenty more opportunities to see the phenomenon in 2025.
According to NASA, it’s because the sun’s solar cycle is reaching its peak.
The solar cycle is a natural cycle the sun goes through as it transitions between low and high magnetic activity. This happens roughly every 11 years.
During the most active part of the cycle, known as solar maximum, the sun can unleash immense explosions of light, energy, and solar radiation.
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