Stunning aurora borealis photos captured over US and Ireland capture by pilot

A British pilot flying from Denver took some incredible shots of the Northern Lights over Chicago and Ireland. As he said himself on his X account "Best office view ever."

Scott Bateman MBE, a former Royal Air Force who now flys commercially, captured some incredible photos of the aurora borealis over the United States and Ireland this week. 

The pilot had the best view in the house on Sunday, Aug 12, flying an A350-1000 passenger airplane as he flew across the Atlantic Ocean. 

He posted the colorful shots on X where he wrote "Last night was spectacular!! I have never seen the aurora borealis so vivid with reds and purples. It started as we passed Chicago at 39,000ft and lasted until the dawn over Ireland when it turned purple.

The Northern Lights: Pilot Scott Bateman MBE's photos taken from his cockpit.

"The pics are from my iPhone 15 with no editing or filters. This and meteors, and we had a front-row seat in our Airbus."

Bateman is a former RAF pilot who shares his everyday adventures with a mission to make aviation accessible to all. He's also the author of a bestselling book "Hercules".

The aurora borealis

The Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is a natural light display that occurs in the polar regions, primarily in the Arctic and Antarctic. The phenomenon is caused by the interaction between charged particles from the Sun and the Earth's magnetic field. When these particles collide with gases in the Earth's atmosphere, such as oxygen and nitrogen, they produce bright, colorful lights that can be seen in the night sky.

The colors of the aurora borealis can range from green to pink, red, yellow, blue, and violet. The most common color is a pale green, which is caused by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the Earth. Red auroras are less common and are produced by high-altitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles (320 kilometers). Nitrogen can produce blue or purplish-red auroras.

The Northern Lights: Pilot Scott Bateman MBE's photos taken from his cockpit.

The Northern Lights and Ireland

The aurora borealis is typically visible in high-latitude regions, such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and Alaska. However, under certain conditions, it can be seen at lower latitudes, including Ireland.

In Ireland, the Northern Lights are not a regular occurrence, but they can sometimes be visible, especially in the northern parts of the country. The frequency of sightings depends on a few factors including solar activity, weather conditions, and geomagnetic conditions.

In a good year, there might be a handful of nights when the Northern Lights are visible in Ireland, particularly in the north of the country (e.g., Donegal or the Antrim coast). However, there is no guarantee, and the phenomenon remains relatively rare in the Emerald Isle.