Incredible pictures of northern lights in Ilkley and Wetherby as natural phenomenon lights up Yorkshire skies

Photos of the natural phenomenon captured from beauty spots in the likes of Ilkley and Wetherby were shared online after the skies were lit up in shades of red and green last night (Sunday).

Nicola Raistrick was one of those to share her pictures, which she took after driving to the Cow and Calf rocks in Ilkley from her home in Burley in Wharfdale at around 7pm last night.

She said: “I could see a pink hue outside and checked an app that shows you where the aurora was and decided to head up the hill. I thought the Cow and Calf would be a pretty iconic.”

Ms Raistrick headed to the spot with her “adventure buddy” Rijker – a seven month old German Shepherd – and watched the “breath-taking” spectacle.

She said: “I go hiking a lot and I’ve seen specs of it in Scotland but nothing like that. It was incredible.

"To the naked eye you can see the colours but looking through a camera lens is amazing. You can see it in real time.”

Ms Raistrick said she got tips on how to get the best pictures of the display from her daughter, who is a photographer, and was delighted with the outcome.

She said: “Not to have to go to the Arctic Circle to see something as spectacular as that was just such a privilege.”

The Guardian reports that this winter is set to bring the best northern lights displays for 20 years.