Was this mystery light over Chichester a UFO, or the Northern Lights?

Mysterious moving purple and green lights were spotted over Chichester last night, with different theories as to what they might have been.
Matt Power from Bognor spotted the lights while driving home from Tangmere.Matt Power from Bognor spotted the lights while driving home from Tangmere.
Matt Power from Bognor spotted the lights while driving home from Tangmere.

Pictures of the strange glow were taken by Sarah Raishbrook from her home in Merston in the direction of the A27.

Matt Power from Bognor also submitted a picture of the lights, which he said were ‘ebbing and changing’ in the sky as he drove back from Tangmere, with part of the light moving from blue to green.

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He added that his Finnish girlfriend, who was with him at the time, said the phenomenon looked like the Northern Lights diffused in cloud.

He said: “I rushed home to get my proper camera but by the time I returned they had vanished.

“The lights were ebbing and changing, it was pretty cool.”

The Northern Lights are caused by electrically charged particles from the sun reacting with the Earth’s atmosphere.

A spokesperson for the South Downs Planetarium confirmed that there was a large solar eruption two nights ago that could have caused the aurora to be visible as far south as Chichester, although it would have been largely obscured by cloud.

A mysterious light seen from Merston. Photo by Sarah Raishbrook.A mysterious light seen from Merston. Photo by Sarah Raishbrook.
A mysterious light seen from Merston. Photo by Sarah Raishbrook.
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An expert from the planetarium, who is currently investigating the Northern Lights, has been contacted for comment.

Do you have any theories? Comment below and see if other people agree.

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