Some lucky stargazers captured a glimpse of the beautiful Northern Lights this week as people made the most of a rare opportunity to spot the spectacle in the skies above England.

But, for those who missed it, don't fret. The show is expected to continue into the weekend.

Unusual solar activity meant the Northern Lights - also known as Aurora Borealis - could be viewed in Britain in the early hours of Thursday morning (June 25).

Typically the Northern Lights can only be seen from countries in the very north of the globe, and Brits usually have to trek to Sweden to catch the spectacle.

But a massive solar flare last weekend followed by another on Thursday means that the wispy bands of green and red have appeared in skies across Europe and North America.

The Northern Lights are caused when high energy particles from the Sun zoom towards Earth and interact with the atmosphere and magnetic field.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory has detected a second solar flare, which has blasted a mass ejection of particles into space - they’ll take between one and five days to reach Earth, which means the weekend could be a good time for skywatching.

How do I look out for the Northern Lights?

Try and get away from urban areas where light pollution interferes with any stargazing.

Ideally you should find a spot with good views of the horizon in the north, where the lights will be strongest.

"To see the Northern Lights, wait until at least half an hour after sunset, go outside away from artificial lights, let your eyes accustom to the dark and look towards the north," said a Met Office spokesman.

Time-wise, you want to be looking between midnight and 3am.