Northern lights over Iceland in sped-up footage

Time-lapse photos have captured the northern lights on the outskirts of the capital Reykjavik.

The lights, also known as aurora borealis, occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles. As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.

The auroras are most commonly seen over high polar latitudes, and are chiefly influenced by geomagnetic storms which originate from activity on the Sun.