Home News Fife

Northern Lights stun with magical display above Dundee and Fife

Locals across Tayside and Fife captured stunning shots of the aurora borealis, with experts predicting a repeat performance on Monday night.

By Alasdair Clark

February 27 2023, 7:13am

The spectacular display in Kinross. Image: Feral Alba Photograpy

The shimmering colours of the Northern Lights were seen across Dundee and Fife on Sunday.

Locals lucky to capture a glimpse of the rare phenomenon are sharing pictures of the neon-like lights.

Experts at the Met Office say the aurora borealis can only occasionally be seen over the UK.

But after the rare event on Sunday, they say there is a chance the lights could be visible again on Monday evening (February 27).

A map shared by the weather agency shows sightings are most likely in Northern Scotland from around 9pm onwards.

Pictures from across Tayside and Fife

Northern Lights over fife — Photographer Steve Brown said he was able to capture the shimmers reds in the lights with a three second exposure. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

The lights are only rarely seen in the UK. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

The lights can be best seen in areas with little light pollution. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

Connor Smith captured this picture from home in Dundee.

The display stunned locals across Dundee. Image: @Laupatx/Twitter

The lights from Carrot Hill in Forfar. Image: Heather Whyte

The lights seen from Newburgh in Fife. Image: Carol Donaldson.

Photographer Stuart Cowper caught these images from Craigie Hill Golf Course. Image: Stuart Cowper.

Northern Lights over Perth. Image: Stuart Cowper

How to get the best pictures

Steve Brown, a photographer with The Courier, shared some top tips for those keen to catch a picture of the Northern Lights.

Use a tripod if you have one, and if not something to stop your camera moving during extended exposure
If you don’t have a tripod and are resting against something, you can use your cameras self timer. When you press the shutter button the camera will wait a few seconds before taking the photo
Keep the ISO as low as you can
Set your shutter speed to 3 seconds or shorter depending on conditions and strength of the display, but check how it looks on the cameras screen
Get a location with a nice foreground interest
Always face north
Modern camera phones have a night mode, this may assist you
Enjoy the show and experiment

What causes the Northern Lights?

The sky is magically light up by the aurora borealis as a result of solar activity. The occur when charged particles from the Sun collides with molecules in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.

The Met Office explains: “Auroras usually occur in a band called the annulus (a ring about 1,865 miles across) centred on the magnetic pole.

“The arrival of a Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) from the Sun can cause the annulus to expand, bringing the aurora to lower latitudes.

“It is under these circumstances that the lights can be seen in the UK.”