Stunning Northern Lights photographed by Derbyshire Times readers

For several hours yesterday (Thursday) the aurora borealis blazed above, lighting up the heavens in shimmering colour across Derbyshire and the East Midlands.

The vivid display began around 7pm before weakening for several hours and returning with a vengeance around midnight and continuing until dawn.

Northern Lights appear when particles collide with gases in the Earth's atmosphere around the poles and are most-commonly seen over high polar latitudes.