Undoubtedly, the rare and magnificent display of the Northern Lights across our country this year has been a privilege. Many of us have spent countless evenings in awe, not just to witness this extraordinary phenomenon, but also to capture the elusive beauty of its unique array of colours.

I have to confess I was one of those people who missed the display in May and was absolutely out of my mind when I finally saw it and managed to capture it with my phone. Still, the question remained: Why have we in Ottery been so lucky to be able to enjoy this phenomenal display from the back of our garden when many pay money and travel to the Nordic territories to see it and sometimes are not as lucky as we have been twice this year?

As you know, I am very good at relying on the expertise of my friends to find answers to my questions. This time, it was Nick Grahame's turn to help me. Nick had previously collaborated with me in the production of the article about Ottery’s Big Freeze, and pointed me in the right direction, suggesting looking through the publications from the Royal Astronomical Society as he was sure I would find a well-founded answer there. So I did, and I am pleased to share my findings with you, as they will explain the uniqueness of an event that, before May 2024, had only happened in 2003.

Was it just luck, or were there other factors at play that allowed us to witness this spectacle twice? As the Royal Astronomical Society’s new president. Professor Mick Lockwood, explains, “This was by no means a certainty”. The unpredictability of such a rare event adds to the thrill of the experience.

Professor Lockwood also remarks, "The Northern Lights that we witnessed in May as the most extreme geomagnetic storm in two decades made the natural light show visible much further south than usual. That was because the Sun reached the most active period in its 11-year solar cycle in 2024, making solar storms—and therefore the chance to see the Northern Lights—more likely.

"Known as the solar maximum, this is when the Sun has more sunspots than usual because its magnetic field is becoming stronger and at its most complex, leading to the release of massive amounts of energy in the form of solar flares and, crucially for aurora, Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). It means there was a higher chance than usual that the lights could again be visible to much of the UK - perhaps even as early as the following month."

Given the rare convergence of factors, including the need for CMEs to be launched and in the direction to hit the Earth, the orientation of the magnetic field in interplanetary space when they arrive, and clear skies, it’s safe to say we were incredibly fortunate to witness the Aurora Borealis.

It’s truly remarkable that the sun had to throw out enough CMEs to create a so-called cannibal CME, where the charged particles combine during their journey to Earth and spark an extreme geomagnetic storm classed as the highest G5 and in the direction of Earth, for us to witness the May spectacle in July again.

So what about those breath-taking colours? They are a result of charged particles energised by energy extracted from the solar wind hitting gases in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. These gases then emit characteristic colours, a sight to behold. The most abundant gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, nitrogen and oxygen, create a stunning palette. Oxygen atoms glow green and red, while nitrogen atoms emit purple, blue and pink, painting the sky with their beauty.

I've shared photos of Ottery’s unique, breath-taking skies over the years. 2024 was a year when Ottery’s sky reciprocated my dedication with awe-inspiring displays. Will we see the Aurora Borealis again this winter? I hope so!