SPECTACULAR images of the Northern Lights were captured by an Argus reader as they shone brightly over Cwmbran last night.

The Aurora Borealis - better known as the Northern Lights - have been giving rare and spectacular displays over parts of the UK, from the north of Scotland to as far as South Wales.

One Argus reader, Owen Meredith, 22, a gap year bio-medical science student and keen photographer, captured the fantastic natural lighting display over Cwmbran on Thursday night.

Mr Meredith photographed the scene from the front room window of his house on Spring Grove, Cwmbran, around 9.30pm.

“I was half asleep and just checking on the lights and thought I would get the camera and it was just there,” he said.

“I stayed taking pictures until about 12pm when it was starting to get cloudy.I heard that it was meant to be the best show in the past 20 years. It is incredibly rare to have seen them as far down as South Wales”

The Northern Lights, a natural light display which usually takes place in the Arctic regions, appear as shimmering green waves of light when atoms in the Earth’s high-altitude atmosphere collide with energetic charged particles from the sun.

It is only visible in this part of the world if the skies remain clear.

Mr Meredith has previously taken photographs of the Northern Lights in Blaenavon and has also photographed them on a special three hour flight from Cardiff airport in March 2012 which circles around the Shetland Islands to give a great view of the lights.

The Northern Light enthusiast Mr Meredith tracks the patterns of the lights and hopes to see them ‘properly’ in Norway.

Did you see the lights? Send your photographs to sophie.brownson@gwent-wales.co.uk