The best time and place to view the Northern Lights this weekend has been revealed.
The Aurora Borealis dazzled the nation last weekend – and is set to reappear in the coming days.
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Last weekend’s stunning display could be seen as far south as Minster on Sea in KentCredit: Alamy
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This weekend, the northern parts of the country may be able to see the phenomenon once again.
A “red alert” has been issued – meaning the aurora will be visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK.
However, some parts of Britain will have a better show than others.
The Met Office’s Space Weather Division says “intensification of the aurora is likely to be early May 18” in the Northern Hemisphere.
They added: “The aurora could become visible as far south as parts of Scotland where the skies are clear.
“After that, mostly background aurora conditions are expected.”
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large ejections of plasma from the Sun.
The forecaster’s map of space weather even shows us what weather is best to take a look.
It shows the lights will hit the northern tip of Scotland at midnight on Sunday.
MORE SHOWS TO COME
Met Office forecaster Krista Hammond said the sunspot area would turn back towards Earth in 10 to 12 days, paving the way for further geomagnetic storms and aurora displays.
She said: “The sunspot area will return to the side of the Sun facing Earth.
“Right now we’re at solar maximum and we’re seeing more sunspots.
“If we see more sunspots, we’ll see an increased frequency of space weather, and thus an aurora.”
The forecaster played down the chances of a complete repeat of last weekend’s display, but said more solar activity would mean a good chance of sightings “in the coming weeks, months and years”.
“It was a unique set of circumstances that happened last weekend.
“The chances of the same sunspots doing the same thing again – are probably very small.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it shows up and there’s some activity on it, but I suspect it won’t be a repeat performance.”
Where exhibitions can be seen in the UK is dictated by the “strength of the geomagnetic storm”, she said.
There may even be smaller mass ejections on their way to Earth in the coming days with the potential to create more beautiful displays, Ms Hammond said.
“There are several mass ejections on the way to Earth.
“They’re a lot less powerful than what we saw last weekend, but they could bring aurora displays to predominantly northern parts of the UK, like Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England.
“Just because we don’t see the aurora across the whole of the UK doesn’t mean we won’t see it in some areas,” she said.
It came after scientists from the Space and Planetary Physics Group at Lancaster University’s Department of Physics issued a “red alert” for the Aurora Borealis.
AuroraWatch UK explained: “The aurora is likely to be visible to the eye from Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland; it is possible that it will be visible from other parts of the UK.
“The aurora borealis photos are probably from anywhere in the UK.”
Visibility of the Northern Lights has increased due to an “extreme” geomagnetic storm, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
What are auroras?
Auroras occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.
In the Northern Hemisphere, most of this activity occurs within a band known as the auroral oval, which covers latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.
When the activity is strong, it spreads out and covers a larger area – which explains why displays can occasionally be seen as far south as the UK.
Visibility of the Northern Lights increased on Friday due to an “extreme” geomagnetic storm, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The phenomenon appears as beautiful dancing green and purple ribbons of light that have captivated people for millennia.
NOAA said a G5 geomagnetic storm, considered the most extreme and strongest level of a geomagnetic storm, hit Earth last Thursday.
This storm was caused by a “large, complex” cluster of sunspots and is 17 times the diameter of Earth, the last G5 storm to hit Earth in October 2003, causing a power outage in Sweden.
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Britons could see the aurora borealis again tonightCredit: Reuters
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education