Stunning images have emerged of the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, over Blackburn.

The Met Office say the lights might be visible in skies across Lancashire again tonight (April 20).

Craig Smith took a picture of the lights over the Mill Hill area of Blackburn. They show the sky glowing green and red.

They were taken on April 16 when auroral activity was strong across the north of the UK.

According to the Met Office, the aurora could be visible on Saturday night – although they say the chance is low.

They said: “The aurora is unlikely to be visible from Lancashire  – although there is a slim chance in northern Scotland.

“There is a low chance of auroral activity in Lancashire on Saturday night, but it’s too early to be sure at this stage.”

According to the Met Office, the northern lights occur as a consequence of solar activity and result from collisions of charged particles in the solar wind colliding with molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere.

The best conditions to view the lights are when the sky is dark and clear of any clouds.

The northern lights are most active during the equinox and solstice in March, April, September and October.

Predominantly the northern lights are best witnessed in Scotland, North England, North Wales and Northern Ireland. However, under severe space weather conditions, the lights can be seen throughout the UK.