Cliff Notes
- The UK may witness the Northern Lights this weekend, particularly in parts of Scotland, as per the Met Office’s space weather forecast.
- Stephen Dixon from the Met Office has indicated potential sightings on Saturday night, contingent on breaks in cloud cover in northern Scotland.
- A repeat opportunity for visibility may arise on Sunday night, but uncertainty surrounding cloud conditions may impede viewing.
- The Northern Lights are produced by solar storms that emit charged particles, which can create colourful displays in the Earth’s atmosphere.
- Traditionally visible in regions like Norway and Canada, recent heightened solar activity has allowed sightings further south in the UK, including areas as far down as Brighton and Cornwall.
Northern Lights: Met Office reveals where the Aurora Borealis could be visible over the UK tonight
The UK may be in for an astronomical treat as the Northern Lights could be visible in parts of the country.
The Met Office space weather forecast has revealed what areas may catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis this weekend.
Some parts of Scotland may be lucky enough to see the aurora on Saturday and Sunday night, the forecaster said. But it is possible the display could be obstructed by clouds.
Stephen Dixon from the Met Office said: “There’s a chance of some aurora visibility in the north of Scotland on Saturday night thanks to a solar wind connecting with Earth.
“There will be breaks in the cloud in the area, increasing the chances of a sighting for those in the area.
“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 aurora borealis is caused by solar storms on the surface of the sun.
These storms give out eclectically charged particles which can travel millions of miles and in some cases, they collide with Earth.
Although most of these solar particles are deflected, some are captured by the Earth’s magnetic field creating spectacular displays.
Auroras give off several colours, such as purple, blue and pink, in the sky and are most visible at night. These colours are created by two primary gasses in the Earth’s atmosphere — oxygen and nitrogen.
Oxygen causes a green light, and nitrogen gives off hints of purple or blue, while a red hue can also be seen when oxygen very high up in the Earth’s atmosphere interacts with solar particles.
Usually, the Northern Lights are visible in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the north of American state Alaska and northern Siberia in Russia. They are rarely seen in the UK.
The further north you are the more likely you are to see the display, but due to heightened solar activity recently the Northern Lights have been spotted as far south as Brighton and Cornwall.
According to the Met Office the Northern Lights are most active during the Equinox and Solstice, around March and April or September and October.
The best viewing conditions are when the sky is dark and clear or any clouds and light pollution, such as in remote areas that face the northern horizon.