For years, Brits had to venture to the far regions of Scandinavia or north America (or sometimes, Scotland) if they hoped to be in with a chance of seeing the magical aurora borealis. But the past 12 months have seen the northern lights make an unusually high number of appearances in UK skies, from the Lake District to London.
Now, they’re back. The lights were spotted in northeast Scotland, northern England, the Midlands and even as far down south as Dorset on Monday night. If you missed them, don’t worry – they could be returning this evening (Tuesday, September 2).
The increased sightings here are because the sun is nearing a solar maximum, which is a period of peak activity within its 11-year cycle. A Met Office spokesperson confirmed: ‘The Met Office expects that at the peak of geomagnetic activity, there is a chance aurora may be visible across much of the UK. Notably, these displays may be visible to the naked eye, without the need for photographic equipment, which is relatively rare for locations this far south in the UK.’
Here’s everything you need to know if you want to catch sight of the northern lights this evening.
RECOMMENDED: Top tips for spotting the Northern Lights.
What are the northern lights?
Most of the time, the northern lights appear in high latitude regions such as the Arctic or Scandinavia.
Their colourful glow is caused by a stream of charged particles that escape the sun (known as coronal mass ejection or CME) and interact with the Earth’s magnetic field. The particles hit our atmosphere at several million kilometres per hour and combine with oxygen and nitrogen, triggering a geomagnetic storm and creating a multicoloured burst. A green glow is associated with oxygen while nitrogen is what causes the lights to look purple, blue or pink.
How to see the northern lights in the UK tonight
First, you need clear weather conditions. Northern Scotland and northern England are likely to have the clearest skies this evening, though that still doesn’t guarantee a good view of the lights. You’ll need to find somewhere with minimal light pollution and an unobstructed view of the sky if you want to witness the display in its fullest glory.
What’s the best time to see the northern lights tonight?
The clearest view of the lights will be when the sky is at its darkest. Anytime from when the sun goes down at 7.42pm tonight will be a good bet, but optimum darkness will be around midnight.
When will the northern lights be visible in the UK again?
Keep an eye on the AuroraWatch X feed to be the first to find out when the next northern lights display may appear in the UK.
How to see the total lunar eclipse and blood moon in the UK this weekend.
These are the best places in the world for spotting the northern lights.
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