Northern Lights?

[mercia]

assuming it wasn't moving

no it definitely wasn't moving, so I shall take Venus as the answer, it certainly was amazingly bright

[Suffolkcoastal]

It is indeed Venus in the morning in the constellation of Virgo. Jupiter is currently in the south-south west after sunset. I've seen three spectacular Auroral displays in the last 30 years from my latitude, the last around 12 years ago when it reached over the the zenith. Normally the best months to get displays are March and early April due to the tilt of the earth. Astronomy is one of my many hobbies btw!

[ardcarp]

Hercule, I've just looked up your planet. Two are listed as visible in the SE early-morning sky, Venus and Saturn. I suspect yours was Venus becaus it is at magnitude -4.6 at the moment, incredibly bright. (The more negative the number, the brighter it is.) Saturn is just +0.8. Were you listening to Through the Night or Breakfast?

[mercia]

Were you listening to Through the Night or Breakfast?

Well both of course, being a loyal Radio3 listener (don't ask me to recall the exact playlist though)

[kernelbogey]

A few years ago Mrs Ardcarp and I saw shafts of faintly coloured light fanning out upwards in the Northern evening sky. This was in Cornwall.

I'm cheered by this anecdote. i grew up in Cornwall and in about 1960 saw what I thought must have been the Aurora Borealis. There was no report of this in the news and I assumed at the time that my conclusion was wrong, as we were so far south. Very pleasing to have my suspicion confirmed!