Photographer captures Northern Lights over Powys village

James Roberts of James Roberts Photography based in Meifod shared this picture with County Times readers of the Aurora Borealis above the village on March 3.

James said: "It was taken at 8:20pm right above Meifod looking North. This was my first time seeing them in this country.

"I have tried to catch them in the past but it takes a lot for the stars to align and actually catch them."

The aurora is at its most active around the equinoxes in March and September. 

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The light show we see from the ground is caused by electrically charged particles from space entering the Earth’s upper atmosphere at a very high speed.

The Northern Lights most commonly appear between 5pm and 2am and don not usually exhibit for long and may only show for a few minutes, then glide away before returning.

Southern areas of Scotland, England and Wales are also sometimes able to catch sight of the aurora, though typically only in rural areas with little light pollution. 

You are more likely to see the northern lights in winter, between the months of October and April. 

This is because the night sky is darker in winter and there are fewer daylight hours. You need darkness to be able to spot the colours of the aurora borealis, as they are harder to see in daylight.