It’s something that features on many people’s bucket lists.
And if you’ve always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights, tonight could be your opportunity.
The Met Office says that people as far south as London could get a glimpse at the stunning display this evening, as a ‘severe’ geomagnetic storm slams into Earth.
‘Aurora sightings are likely across Scotland and Northern Ireland, perhaps across northern England,’ the Met Office says.
‘[There is] a slight chance of sightings across parts of the Midlands or the south of England where skies are clear.’
It’s something that features on many people’s bucket lists. And if you’ve always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights, tonight could be your opportunity. Here, the aurora borealis illuminates the sky in Alaska, US on October 7, 2024
The Met Office says that people as far south as London could get a glimpse at the stunning display this evening, as a ‘severe’ geomagnetic storm slams into Earth
Where can you see the Northern Lights in the UK?
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.
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.
Tonight’s forecast is largely clear for Britain, although showers are expected over Scotland in the early hours of Friday morning.
A patchy frost may form – so Brits are advised to wrap up warm if planning on heading outside to see the aurora.
What causes the Northern Lights?
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.
‘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.’
In the Earth’s north, the Northern Lights are officially known as the aurora borealis, while in the south, the event is called aurora australis. Pictured, aurora australis as it glows on the horizon over the waters of Lake Ellesmere on the outskirts of Christchurch on October 8, 2024
A man takes pictures of the Southern Lights (aurora australis) as it glows on the horizon over the waters of Lake Ellesmere on the outskirts of Christchurch on October 8, 2024
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
At this point, charged particles 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.
Dr Elsje said there were solar flares – intense emissions of electromagnetic radiation – and coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun that have just reached us.
CMEs are larger bursts of energy send clouds of these charged particles hurtling through space at a relatively lower speed, so their aurora effects are usually felt slightly later.
Are geomagnetic storms dangerous?
Although not dangerous to humans, geomagnetic storms can damage power grids on Earth and satellites in orbit, which can lead to internet disruptions.
One of the most notable dangers is to power grids, according to Dr Elsje.
‘Powerful storms can induce electric currents in power lines, potentially overloading transformers and causing blackouts,’ she said.
An aurora is one of the most spectacular displays in the night sky. Pictured, Bowden Loch, near Melrose, Scotland, October 7, 2024
The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, light up the sky over a farmer’s grain bins near Herronton, Alberta, Canada October 7, 2024
Northern Lights on display in the skies over Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside, on the North East coast of England, Monday October 7, 2024
Two severe solar storms in modern times caused extensive power cuts in Quebec, Canada, in 1989 and Malmo, Sweden, in 2003.
How does this geomagnetic storm rate?
Both the UK’s Met Office and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US rate this as a ‘G4’ storm.
This means it is a ‘severe’ event that can affect spacecraft operations, potentially causing orientation issue, as well as satellite navigation.
Dr Steph Yardley a space scientist at Northumbria University, said it could cause aurora similar to what was seen in May 2024.
At the time, many Brits as far south as London, Kent and Cornwall were amazed to see the event with the naked eye for the first time.
This image from NOAA shows the extent of where aurora might be seen on the northern horizon tonight
Back in May, Brits as far south as London, Kent and Cornwall were amazed to see the event with the naked eye for the first time. Pictured, over Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, May 11, 2024
Northern Lights during a solar storm over the National Monument of Scotland in Edinburgh on May 10, 2024
‘The sun is being particularly active again leading to a rare and severe G4 geomagnetic storm watch being issued,’ said Dr Yardley.
‘The Earth-directed solar eruption could drive aurora similar to what was seen in May 2024, but we will only know this for certain when it is about to impact Earth.
‘Apart from spectacular displays of the aurora, these eruptive events can cause a whole range of disruption to our technological systems and hence our everyday lives.’
Dr Yardley said there may even be a radiation risk for astronauts, passengers and crew in aircraft flying at high altitudes close to the poles due to energetic particles.
On X, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick posted a stunning shot of the aurora from his vantage point aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
For Earthlings on the ground, aurora can be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise, but are not visible during daylight hours.
Why are there so many auroras right now?
Aurora are generally becoming more frequent as we enter solar maximum – the period of peak solar activity during the sun’s 11-year solar cycle, when the surface of the sun is more active than ever.
The aurora borealis appears over Bamburgh Lighthouse, in Northumberland on the North East coast of England, November 5, 2023
The Milky Way and northern lights are seen together as the aurora makes a rare appearance in Eastern Sierra mountains of California in the early morning hours of October 8, 2024
The solar cycle is the cycle that the sun’s magnetic field goes through about every 11 years, before it completely flips and the sun’s north and south poles switch places.
Scientists can track the solar cycle is by counting the number of ‘sunspots’ – dark areas on the sun’s surface – and when exactly they appear, mostly using satellites.
The beginning of an 11-year solar cycle, when the sun has the fewest sunspots, is known as the solar minimum – but over time the number of sunspots increases as it reaches solar maximum.
A recent study predicted the solar maximum is coming sooner than expected – 2024 rather than late 2025 – meaning space weather will be most pronounced now.
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.’
