The Met Office has revealed which areas of the UK may be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights tonight.
Those who live in the far north of Scotland may catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis this evening.
The weather forecaster said clear skies in the area today mean the display could be seen, but clouds may obstruct it.
Stephen Dixon from the Met Office said that ‘there is a chance’ the lights will be visible this evening due to a solar wind connecting with the earth.
He added: ‘There’s a possibility of further potential sightings on Sunday night in the north of Scotland, though there’s some uncertainty on this at the moment and further cloud could obscure viewing potential.’
The Northern Lights are caused by a ‘severe’ geomagnetic storm – a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere, the area around Earth controlled by the planet’s magnetic field.
This disturbance is triggered when a violent stream of charged particles released from the sun’s outermost atmospheric layer is directed towards us.
The Northern Lights could be seen tonight over northern Scotland, the Met Office has said
October, 2024 Pictured: The Northern Lights visible over a groyne on the beach at Portobello near Edinburgh
Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin said the movement of solar winds around the sun at this time is leading to the ‘enhanced possibility of a sighting’.
The sun has now entered its period of greatest activity, which means Britons could be seeing more colourful displays of the aurora borealis until the middle of the year.
The sun goes through an 11-year solar cycle, with periods of intense activity followed by a quiet phase.
During its active bursts, also known as solar maximum, the sun releases charged particles that travel through space at speeds of around one million miles per hour.
Some of the particles are captured by the Earth’s magnetic field and collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules in the atmosphere.
These atoms and molecules then shed the energy they gained from the collision, emitting light at various wavelengths to create colourful displays in the night sky.
According to NASA, oxygen emits either a greenish-yellow light – which is the most familiar colour of the aurora – or a red light, while nitrogen generally gives off a blue light.
The oxygen and nitrogen molecules also emit ultraviolet light, which can only be detected by special cameras on satellites.
The best way to catch the display is to find a dark place, away from light pollution such as street lights and ideally a cloud-free sky.
There is also a chance the Aurora Borealis phenomenon could be visible further south
The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights over Derwentwater, near Keswick in Cumbria
Jedburgh Abbey pictured with the colours of the northern lights above
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.
There’s a reaction called nuclear fusion that occurs continuously deep within the sun’s core,’ explains Dr Amoré Elsje, an applied geomagnetic researcher at SANSA Space Science, in a new piece for The Conversation.
‘This generates massive amounts of energy.
‘Some of the energy is released as light (sunlight), some as radiation (solar flares), and some as charged particles.’
The Met Office added that a spell of rain will move south across the country on Monday after a sunny spell this weekend.
They said: ‘By Tuesday, we’ll start to see temperatures drop to below average across the UK.
‘Rural spots in Scotland could see -4°C on Tuesday night, with a daytime maximum temperatures typically between 5-8°C.’
