If you missed Friday’s Northern Lights spectacle, there’s more to see tonight solar Strom.
An unusual phenomenon lit up the skies over the UK yesterday after a huge solar storm hit the Earth.
Stargazers across the UK, particularly in the south of the country, were able to catch a rare glimpse of the Northern Lights, many for the first time.
Bands of pink and green light have appeared across Scotland, Wales and even southern England after an “extreme” geomagnetic storm.
Social media was flooded with stunning images after many decided to stay up to witness it.
Now forecasting experts have revealed whether there will be another display in case you opted for sleep over the aurora.
Are the Northern Lights out tonight?
The aurora borealis might be visible in northern parts of the UK again on Saturday, May 11.
Chris Snell, meteorologist at the Met Office, said there is a good chance for another active night.
He said: ‘It is hard to fully predict what will happen in the Earth’s atmosphere, but there will still be enhanced solar activity tonight, so the lights could be visible again in northern parts of the UK, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far north of England.’
The Northern Lights illuminate the sky above Glastonbury Tor (Somerset, March 10, 2024). Release date: May 11, 2024. Stunning views of the Northern Lights are delighting British sky watchers. The aurora is a natural light show that appears in Earth’s skies and is primarily seen in high latitudes around the North and South poles.
Auroras display dynamic patterns of vivid light that appear as curtains, rays, spirals, or dynamic flickers across the sky. aurora lights up the sky at Glastonbury Tor, Somerset (Image: Michelle Cowbourne/SWNS) aurora borealis have been spotted across Europe as far as Barcelona, Spain.
However, the phenomenon that produces this beautiful display is the result of solar storms that can disrupt electronic equipment such as GPS and even the power grid.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the magnetic storm that enhanced the aurora was caused by a “large and complex” sunspot cloud.
It is rated G5 and is considered an extreme and strongest solar storm.
The last G5 storm hit the Earth more than 20 years ago in October 2003, causing power outages in Sweden, Professor Carol Haswell told BBC Radio 4 today.
What time can we see the Northern Lights tonight?
Winter is usually the best time to see the Northern Lights because there are fewer hours of daylight.
But while light pollution can be an issue in the city, Saturday evening is your best chance to see the colorful sky again.
Mr Snell said: “The nights are shorter this time of year, so it’s not likely to be visible until it gets really dark, around 10:30 or 11 p.m.” I’m going to see the Northern Lights tonight
If you want to make the most of the Northern Lights, there are several good locations for stargazing.
Meteorologists advised people wanting to see the lights to go to areas with less light pollution and use good cameras.
He added: “Any type of light has a big impact, so staying away from street lights and areas with heavy light pollution is your best chance of seeing the light. In the South, that’s less likely.” added. It occurred in parts of the UK on Saturday, but Mr Snell said the light could be seen through powerful camera lenses.
Where were the lights seen?
bands of pink and green lights were seen across the UK and Europe on Friday evening, stretching as far south as Suffolk, England.
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced that it had received images from places as far away as Prague and Barcelona.
How can I increase my chances of seeing the lights?
Meteorologists recommend staying away from street lights and using a camera to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights. Cameras can adapt to different wavelengths than our eyes.
The lights are unlikely to be visible until it gets pretty dark around 11pm.
A secluded open area with a view of the northern horizon is best.
Why is this so?
Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.
As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.
In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.
When activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area – which explains why displays can be occasionally seen as far south as the UK.
Extreme solar storm
Prof Haswell, head of astronomy at the Open University, explained how the solar storm can disrupt vital satellite communications.
She said: ‘A lot of the satellites communicate using radio signals and all of these charged particles speeding around disrupt radio signals, particularly GPS which is used by planes can be disrupted so it can cause navigation problems, it can cause outages with satellites, it can bring down power systems
The last big G5 storm caused a power outage in Sweden and I haven’t heard of anything happening this time yet, so hopefully people have designed in sort of redundancies into their systems so that they can actually weather this sort of space weather.’
A spokesperson for the Energy Networks Association in the UK said it is monitoring the solar storm, saying that the UK’s electricity network was operating as normal on Saturday morning.
Prof Haswell revealed the science behind the different colours of the Northern Lights.
‘Green comes from oxygen which is about 80 to 250 miles above the earth’s surface,’ she said.
‘The purple, blue and pink comes from nitrogen and when you get a very strong aurora sometimes you see a sort of scarlet red, and that comes from oxygen which is higher in the earth’s atmosphere, at an altitude of about 180 miles.’