Reykjavik goes dark to show off Northern Lights

The world's most northern capital city, Reykjavik, switched off its street lights last night to give its residents a glorious view of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis).

"Residents are invited to join in by turning out the lights at home so as to maximise the darkness and minimise light pollution," the local government said in a statement.

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Street lights were off for an hour (between 10pm and 11pm), and residents were asked to switch off their own lights to reduce light pollution in the city as much as possible. This allowed for the best view of the Aurora Borealis, which was predicted to have heightened activity.

The Northern Lights, or 'Nature's most beautiful light show', are caused by interactions between solar winds and the Earth's magnetic field.

Posts on social media showed the colourful lights filling the night sky above the city.