Photographs of the Aurora Borealis (also known as the Northern Lights) taken at various locations around Brighton and the South Downs National Park. Brighton aurora photos include Devil's Dyke, The Chattri Memorial, Ditchling Beacon and even Brighton Seafront!
The Ditchling Beacon photos were also the first time that the aurora was ever captured from Brighton on 26th February 2023 (after trying for the 3 years previous!).
*** TO PURCHASE ANY BRIGHTON AURORA PHOTOS IN THIS BLOG PLEASE CLICK HERE OR CONTACT ME!! ***
BRIGHTON SEAFRONT AURORA BOREALIS
Highly Commended in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 competition (by Royal Museums Greenwich)
Photograph taken by drone looking north over Brighton Seafront, with the West Pier and Brighton i360 taking centre stage.
Brighton Seafront Aurora Photo 01
Date Captured: 25/11/2023
< Link to purchase prints/canvases of this photo >
Astronomy Photographer of the Year - Highly Commended - Aurorae Category (Royal Museums Greenwich)
Brighton Seafront Aurora Photo 02
Close-up photo of the Brighton i360 observation tower, with Regency Square just behind it and the South Downs National Park in the distance.
Brighton Seafront Aurora Photo 03
NORTHERN LIGHTS OVER BRIGHTON
A huge display of the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) colours the sky over Brighton with the city lights reflecting in the sea below. The Brighton i360 rises up on the left of the photo, with the West Pier visible in the wide angle photos. The photos were taken from the Brighton Palace Pier (as seen in the panoramic photo below).
Brighton Seafront - Northern Lights:
Date Captured: 10/10/2024
Landscape Photo:
*** AS SEEN IN MY BRIGHTON 2026 CALENDAR - PLEASE CLICK HERE! ***
Panoramic Photo:
A Stable Auroral Red (SAR) arc is a rare optical phenomenon related to strong geomagnetic activity that is commonly formed in the sub-auroral zone, equatorward of the auroral oval - seen as a band of red that arcs across the sky from east to west.
POYNINGS, BRIGHTON - AURORA BOREALIS
A short walk from the Devil’s Dyke pub gives a spectcular view from a path leading down to Poynings (the beautiful village to the right of the photo). Car tarils light up a tree in the centre of the photo as beautiful pink and purple rays beam out from the green aurora glow beneath them.
Poynings viewpoint, Brighton - Aurora Photo 01
Date Captured: 10/10/2026
Poynings viewpoint , Brighton - Aurora Photo 02
DEVIL'S DYKE, BRIGHTON - AURORA BOREALIS
Photographs of the Northern Lights from Devil's Dyke - the popular local countryside spot on the South Downs National Park that many people flock to to watch the sunset.
Devil's Dyke, Brighton - Aurora Photo 01
Date Captured: 23/04/2023
Devil's Dyke, Brighton - Aurora Photo 02
Panoramic Photo showing the Aurora Borealis from Devil's Dyke, Brighton. The Devil's Dyke Pub can be seen to the right, with the red light from the transmitter at Truleigh Hill to the left. The view looks over Fulking village with the setting crescent Moon just above the horizon.
Devil's Dyke, Brighton - Aurora Photo 03
Devil's Dyke, Brighton - Aurora Photo 04
< Link to purchase prints/canvases of these photos >
Devil's Dyke, Brighton - Aurora Photo 05
Date Captured: 18/09/2023
< Link to purchase prints/canvases of this photo >
Devil's Dyke, Brighton - Aurora Photo 06
Date Captured: 05/11/2023
Devil's Dyke, Brighton - Aurora Photo 07
The aurora borealis viewed from the Devil's Dyke Valley, looking north to the village of Poynings with Saddlescombe Road and Newtimber Hill to the right. This aurora included a Stable Red Aurora (SAR) arc, which crossed the sky from east to west producing a band of purple aurora above the aurora rays seen in this photo.
< Link to purchase prints/canvases of these photos >
Devil's Dyke, Brighton - Aurora Photo 08
Taken with a drone overlooking the Devil's Dyke valley.
Devil's Dyke, Brighton - Aurora Photo 09
Date Captured: 03/03/2024
Devil's Dyke, Brighton - Aurora Photo 10
BRIGHTON AMEX FOOTBALL STADIUM - AURORA BOREALIS
Pink vertical rays of the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) shoot up high above the football stadium of Brighton & Hove Albion. The Plough (a star pattern, or asterism) can also be seen directly above the stadium.
Brighton Football Stadium Aurora Photo 01
Brighton Football Stadium Aurora Photo 02
DITCHLING BEACON, BRIGHTON - AURORA BOREALIS
Photographs of the Northern Lights looking north from Ditchling Beacon towards Hassocks, Ditchling and Burgess Hill and of the dew pond found a short walk to the west of the car park.
Ditchling Beacon, Brighton Aurora Photo 01
Date Captured: 26/02/2023
Ditchling Beacon, Brighton Aurora Photo 02
< Link to purchase prints/canvases of these photos >
THE CHATTRI MEMORIAL, BRIGHTON - AURORA BOREALIS
Photographs of the aurora taken by the Chattri memorial on the South Downs National Park, near Patcham. The Chattri Memorial honours the Indian soldiers who fought during the First World War.
The Chattri Memorial Aurora Photo 01
Date Captured: 01/12/2023
The Chattri Memorial Aurora Photo 02
The Chattri Memorial Aurora Photo 03
< Link to purchase prints/canvases of these photos >
SEVEN SISTERS AURORA BOREALIS - CUCKMERE HAVEN
Photographs taken by the Coastguard Coattages next to Cuckmere Haven in the Sevens Sisters Country Park.
Date Captured: 10/10/2024
WORTHING AURORA BOREALIS - CISSBURY RING
Photographs taken at Cissbury Ring, just outside of Worthing.
Cissbury Ring, Worthing Aurora Photo 01
Date Captured: 24/03/2023
This first photo won the People's Choice Vote in the South Downs National Park competition 2023/24.
Cissbury Ring, Worthing Aurora Photo 02
Cissbury Ring, Worthing Aurora Photo 03
Cissbury Ring - Aurora Borealis, Milky Way and SAR Arc
This photo is a panoramic of over 180° showing the Aurora Borealis on the left, the Milky Way arch to the right of it and then a Stable Auroral Red (SAR) Arc to the right of that crossing through the Milky Way.
A SAR arc is a rare optical phenomenon related to strong geomagnetic activity that is commonly formed in the sub-auroral zone, equatorward of the auroral oval - seen as a band of red that arcs across the sky from east to west.
Below the aurora borealis to the north is Chanctonbury Ring and to the south are the lights of Worthing and the wind farm out at sea.
Labelled photos of the above space objects:
< Link to purchase prints/canvases of these photos >
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:
* WHAT CAUSES THE AURORA (a very brief explanation)?
Aurora's are caused when ejections from the Sun create solar winds sending electrically charged particles (electrons) towards Earth that collide with the oxygen and nitrogen in our atmosphere. The collisions 'excite' the oxygen and nitrogen molecules transferring energy to them - when the molecules return to their original state that is when they release photons in the form of bursts of light energy, i.e. the aurora.
* WHAT CAUSES THE COLOURS OF THE AURORA?
The different colours of the aurora relate to the composition of the Earth's atmosphere at different altitudes:
Green - produced by excited oxygen molecules at low altitudes.
Red - produced by excited oxygen molecules at high altitudes.
Pink/Dark Red - produced by nitrogen molecules.
Blue/Purple - produced by excited hydrogen and helium high in the ionosphere.
* WERE THEY VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE?
Unfortunately, more often than not the answer is no. The huge aurora once-in-a-lifetime aurora on May 10th withstanding (which I was in Riga, Latvia for: see my photo here), almost every time I have only been able to see the dark of the night and some stars and only when I took a long exposure with my camera did I see the colours of the aurora appear. However, I could see very very faint grey-scale pillars moving the time that I saw the huge aurora at Cissbury Ring, Worthing.
The light pollution to the north is so strong around Sussex (along with the Moonlight on some occassions!) that it makes visibility of the night sky really difficult. Not to mention the auroras we get down here are generally much weaker than those you'd see in Scotland or further north!
* WHY CAN YOU SEE IT WITH THE CAMERA AND NOT THE NAKED EYE?
It's the same principal as how any night sky photos can reveal details of the stars and astro objects - the camera can keep capturing light onto its sensor for a much longer time than our vision, whereas we just see one image in real-time. The camera can also amplify the data it's received to make it even brighter (which you can also do with editing as well!).
* WHAT DOES THE AURORA LOOK LIKE WITH THE NAKED EYE?
When you can see the aurora with the naked eye it will generally look like a dark haze, although if it is an especially intense aurora (and/or you are much further north) you may be able to see the dark green colour the aurora produces, as our eyes see best in the green/yellow/orange part of the spectrum.
* AURORA LEVEL?
The K-index is used to characterize the magnitude of geomagnetic storms.
Kp 1-4: Quiet to Active Storm
Kp 5-6: Moderate Storm
Kp 7-9: Strong to Extreme Storm
⭐️ BRIGHTON CALENDAR 2027 - NIGHT AND DAY⭐️
Including photos of the 2026 Solar Eclipse - plus Huge Moons, the Northern Lights, the Milky Way, Comet Lemmon and Starling Murmurations! (click here to see the photos!)
⭐️ CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BRIGHTON CALENDAR 2027
+ more info and photos!!⭐️
* High Quality Prints & Canvases:
* Follow me on Social Media:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/michaelstevenharris
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaelstevenharris
Hope you enjoyed looking through photos I've taken of the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) around Brighton - please leave a comment if you liked it! 😊
Many thanks!
Michael