Six stunning images of last night's aurora borealis on the spectacular north coast

These stunning images of last night's aurora borealis are simply breathtaking.
The Northern Lights at Carrick-a-RedeThe Northern Lights at Carrick-a-Rede
The Northern Lights at Carrick-a-Rede

They were captured by Carrickfergus-based photographer and videographer Ricky Linton, who spent six hours chasing the Northern Lights with fellow snappers.

The night sky was painted with shades of green, purple and blue and Ricky captured it in all its glory with several amazing images of some of Ulster's most recognisable landscapes.

The ethereal spectacle is caused by charged solar particles interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field.

Just stunning ... the Aurora BorealisJust stunning ... the Aurora Borealis
Just stunning ... the Aurora Borealis

"Myself and a few friends started about 6pm last night at Ballycastle, before making our way over to the Giant's Causeway. We finished at Carrick-a-Rede," he said.

With the temperature plummeting, Ricky, who shot the images on a Sony A7S, said he had taken steps to combat the cold: "I had prepared well with plenty of layers and lots of coffee.

"We stopped in Ballycastle for fish and chips, had a look out to sea and saw two arcs of light on the horizon. We drove up to a car park before Carrick-a-Rede, where I set up my camera and ate my cold fish and chips!"