The face of the Northern Lights captured by Thurso photographer

The Man in the Moon may be a well-known phenomenon but a Thurso photographer captured the 'face' of the Northern Lights during last night's (March 23) spectacular display across Caithness.

Scott Livingstone saw in a moment how the aurora beams merged in the middle to form a face that was so perfectly formed that many might think it was a fake.

The image is all too real, however, and was taken at the precise moment the face was formed before disappearing into the glittering beams of the Aurora Borealis witnessed by many across the county last night.

The breathtaking light show was caused by particles from solar storms on the Sun's surface getting trapped in the Earth's magnetic field and colliding with molecules in the atmosphere. The phenomenon was visible throughout much of the Highlands but was especially striking in Caithness as can be testified by staff from the Pearson medical practice in Wick who sent in pictures that we published in the online version of the paper this morning.

Did you spot last night's Northern Lights display on camera? Send your photos to editor@nosn.co.uk or newsdesk@hnmedia.co.uk

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