Following a sensational meteor shower, skygazers have yet another chance to soak up an astronomical wonder.
From around midnight tonight, the Northern Lights – also known as aurora borealis – should be visible with the naked eye.
The UK’s Met Office says people in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland will be able to witness the colourful light display.
Those as far south as Newcastle, Belfast and the Isle of Man could see it by looking northwards after nightfall – although it should be visible outside of the UK too.
People who are too far south might be able to capture the streams of colourful light with their smartphone camera, even if they can’t see it themselves.
The Northern and Southern Lights (auroras) are natural light spectacles. The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter Earth’s atmosphere. Pictured, the aurora as seen from Denbighshire, Wales, May 11, 2024
It follows a spectacular series of aurora sightings in May that left Brits amazed. Pictured, the aurora over a home in Lydbury, Shropshire, May 10, 2024
According to the Met Office, people with a decent camera should be able to capture shots of the aurora even when it’s not visible with the naked eye.
Look north if you’re in the northern hemisphere (or south if in the southern hemisphere) and set up your camera likewise.
‘Cameras help as the long exposure allows loads of light in and enhances the colours more than the human eye can see,’ a spokesperson said.
‘That is why you see pictures as far south as Cornwall sometimes though you’re unlikely to see it with the naked eye that far south.’
Met Office said any aurora sightings will only be likely in Scotland and parts of Northern England, but these may be impeded by limited hours of darkness.
‘In terms of visibility, cloud will increase from the west overnight but it will be a slow process, and it’s not really until after midnight that cloud cover readily increases across western areas,’ the spokesperson said.
Auroras are caused by disturbances in Earth’s ‘magnetosphere’ (its system of magnetic fields) due to powerful activity on the sun.
Tonight’s aurora stems from a coronal mass ejection (CME) – a massive expulsion of plasma from the sun’s corona, its outermost layer.
The high-energy particles travelled from the sun towards us at hundreds of miles per second before bombarding our magnetosphere – commonly known as a ‘solar storm’.
At this point, some of the energy and small particles can travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into our planet’s atmosphere.
There, the particles interact with gases in our atmosphere, resulting in beautiful displays of light in the sky, known as auroras.
Oxygen gives off green and red light, while nitrogen glows blue and purple.
Although not dangerous to humans, the particles aurora can damage power grids on Earth and satellites in orbit, which can lead to internet disruptions.
Auroras are caused by disturbances in Earth’s ‘magnetosphere’ (its system of magnetic fields) due to powerful activity on the sun. Tonight’s aurora stems from a coronal mass ejection (CME) – a massive expulsion of plasma from the sun’s corona, its outermost layer. Pictured, the aurora from Lancashire, May 10, 2024
The stunning Northern Lights – also known as aurora borealis – on display in Minster on Sea, Kent, May 10, 2024
According to the Met Office, people with a decent camera should be able to capture shots of the aurora even when it’s not visible with the naked eye. Pictured, Whitley Bay, May 10, 2024
The Met Office has revealed the auroral oval – the ring-like range of auroral activity that determines where the Northern Lights will be most visible.
‘Ongoing coronal mass ejection (CME) influence persisting into the 12th [August],’ it said in a statement.
‘This [is] resulting in minor to moderate geomagnetic storm periods and aurora may be visible at times across parts of Scotland, as well as possibly northern England and northern Ireland where skies are clear through the early hours.
Another enhancement is possible for similar areas into the early hours of the 13th with further CME impacts possible before aurora activity likely returning to background levels.’
Meanwhile, in the southern hemisphere – where it’s known as aurora australis – the spectacle should be visible as far north as Tasmania and New Zealand’s south island ‘where skies are clear’.
In North America, the strongest likelihood of seeing the aurora tonight is from Canada and Alaska, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
A Met Office animation shows the auroral oval – the ring-like range of auroral activity that determines the range of the Northern Lights and where it will be most visible
According to the US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there’s the strongest likelihood of seeing the aurora tonight over Canada and Alaska
The aurora is due to a coronal mass ejection (CME) – a massive expulsion of plasma from the Sun’s corona, its outermost layer (artist’s depiction)
People in northern parts of Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin may also see the event although it may be fainter.
NOAA has rated it ‘G3’ (on a scale of one to five), so it’s considered ‘strong’, meaning it could disrupt power systems on Earth and spacecraft in orbit.
‘Surface charging may occur on satellite components, drag may increase on low-Earth-orbit satellites, and corrections may be needed for orientation problems,’ it says.
Aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise, but are not visible during daylight hours.
The best way to see the stunning displays is to find a dark place, away from light pollution such as street lights and ideally a cloud-free sky.
Some of the best aurora spots around the UK are in areas of high elevation (closer to the magnetosphere) and away from cities that pollute the sky with artificial light.
These aurora hotspots include the Lake District in Cumbria, Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, the Shetland Islands and Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.
WHAT ARE AURORAS AND WHAT TRIGGERS THE STUNNING NATURAL DISPLAYS?
The Northern and Southern Lights are natural light spectacles triggered in our atmosphere that are also known as the ‘Auroras’.
There are two types of Aurora – Aurora Borealis, which means ‘dawn of the north’, and Aurora Australis, ‘dawn of the south.’
The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
There are two types of Aurora – Aurora Borealis (file photo), which means ‘dawn of the north’, and Aurora Australis, ‘dawn of the south.’ The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere
Usually the particles, sometimes referred to as a solar storm, are deflected by Earth’s magnetic field.
But during stronger storms they enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles, including hydrogen and helium.
These collisions emit light. Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are common.
