Meet the Sunderland AFC fan who captures the spectacle of the Northern Lights for a living

The sighting sparked a keen interest in the wonder of the night skies and today the 34-year-old from Sunderland is an astronomer and content creator at the Aurora Borealis Observatory in Senja, Sweden, where his role is to capture nature at its most spectacular and share it with the world.

It was only in his late 20s that Matt began working in astronomy professionally, but it’s a fascinating job that’s taken the former Farringdon School pupil around the world, from the Kielder Observatory in Northumberland and documenting a total solar eclipse in Chile to the icy beauty of Finland and the warm hues of the Maldives.

How it all began

Speaking about a passion which would become his job, Matt said: “I got into astronomy when I was around 11 when my Uncle Alan showed myself and my cousin, Michael, a comet through his binoculars that was in the sky around 1997.

“That was my first memory of starting to understand the size of the universe and that the Earth is just a tiny part within it.”

Matt, who works in Norway alongside his girlfriend, Jacqueline, who he also has a media company with, added: “As a child I just wanted to know more about it, I didn't dream of being an astronaut or anything, I probably dreamt of playing for Sunderland at Roker Park and the Stadium of Light.

“Being from the North East it wasn't really instilled into me that I could become anything I wanted. We weren't taught to dream, we were taught to survive. I believe that comes from our working class background and the need to think realistically about your future, it was more of a priority to provide for the family than pursue the dream of going into space.

“The internet growing in size and becoming this fountain of information at your fingertips really helped me access the information I wanted, I also visited the amazing Kielder Observatory in 2014 for a meteor shower and that was the big catalyst.

“I was inspired by normal, enthusiastic people being able to communicate their love of science to people in facilities like the observatory.

“The facility inspired me more than the old guy that was working there, it had a special atmosphere about it. Later I worked there for three years and it was a groundbreaking experience for me, working with a proactive, passionate team, where all of the inspiring team members were under 30.”

Seeing the Northern Lights dancing

As the name would suggest, a big part of Matt’s role at the Aurora Borealis Observatory is filming and photographing the Northern Lights, a breathtaking sight Matt says everyone should try and see at least once in their life.

He said: “The first time I saw the Northern Lights from Whitley Bay with my nephew, that then compared to the first time I saw them dancing over my head in Finland when I worked for The Aurora Zone from Newcastle, were unforgettable moments.

“There is nothing that can prepare you for the feeling you get when you see these magical colours dancing above your head, I would urge everyone to try and see it.”

What we can see in the night skies above the North East

Matt, who’s also a fan of seeing the sunrise over Roker Pier, says there’s plenty of sights to be seen closer to home in the North East too.

“Astronomy starts at home, from your garden or your bedroom window,” he explained. “I would urge people to look out for constellations made up of the brightest stars in the sky, constellations like Leo, Ursa Major and Casseopea are great waypoints to find your way to other constellations, it's essentially just a dot-to-dot puzzle but the largest one you'll ever do.

“Also, if everyone looks off to the west (the direction in which the Sun has set) just after sunset, the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon will be there, it's the planet Venus. People normally mix that up with the North Star (which is not the brightest) but that bright object in the west will be the hottest planet in our solar system, Venus.”

On following SAFC from afar

Despite often seeming like he’s a world away from Wearside, Matt says he keeps up to date with what’s happening in his home city, where his family still live, and, like many fans, has enjoyed being able to watch Sunderland ‘Til I Die on Netflix wherever in the world he may be.

The Black Cats fan said: “I am a huge fan of Sunderland and have been as long as I can remember. It was again my Uncle Alan and my cousin Steve (who has a great soul show on Spark FM) who assertively told me I had to support Sunderland.

“We used to cheer every time their name was mentioned on Final Score at 5pm, even if they got beat! I still follow them online, I watch a few matches and suffer the same levels of anxiety that the fans at home do.”

Speaking about the Netflix docu-series about his beloved club, which returns for a second series on April 1, he said: “Sunderland Til I Die is an incredible show, the way the Fullwell73 team have depicted the importance of the club to the city as well as the emotional and economical effect it has is a masterpiece.

“I'll always have red and white blood, like many other Mackems I'm proud of our city and I'm proud of the tenacity of our people. It's a beautiful city, we should be proud of it and look after it like it's a member of our family, because in a strange way, it is.”