Scarborough treated to another stunning Northern Lights show - with high hopes of more to come

Nicole Carr and Simon Scott, who operate stargazing sessions at at Dalby Forest under the name Astro Dog, captured the image here on the night of January 15, taken from Scalby cliffs at 11.10pm.

“We have been particularly lucky to be able to catch some great Aurora shows recently, and we hope there will be many more opportunities in the future too,” said Nicole.

“We have currently just come out of a particular period in the Sun’s 11-year solar activity cycle called ‘Solar minimum’ and are now heading into a period of time known as ‘Solar maximum’.

"During these two periods, we experience decreased (during minimum) or increased (maximum) solar activity.

"During the time of Solar maximum, the Sun is much more likely to develop the coronal holes/sun-spots that are responsible for the geo-magnetic storms that cause the Aurora here on Earth.

“So far, this particular Solar cycle has been great for those wanting to catch the Aurora.

"We’ve had quite a lot of sightings from the UK recently and some particularly vivid ones too.

The Scarborough couple – who describe themselves as “dedicated aurora chasers” – said a display of the aurora they saw from Scalby Mills, overlooking Jackson’s Bay, last September was one of the best they have seen outside the Arctic Circle.

The Dark Skies Festival has events running at various venues across Whitby and the North York Moors from February 10 to 26.