Meteorologists are predicting that the Northern Lights could be visible across parts of the UK on Thursday night. The Met Office believes that the lights, which are also known as aurora borealis, may appear in the night sky over Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England. The first half of Thursday night will provide the best chance of seeing the aurora, although there is still the possibility of catching a glimpse later on. Despite the colder weather, clear skies across most of the UK will make for ideal viewing conditions.
To increase the chances of seeing the Northern Lights, hopeful spotters should look to the northern horizon and keep their fingers crossed for clear skies overhead. According to Jonathan Vautrey, a Met Office meteorologist, tonight will be pretty ideal conditions due to the lack of cloud. He also suggests that it might be easier to see the lights through a camera or telescope if you have them. The northern Norfolk coast may also have a chance of seeing the faint aurora display.
The 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. While most of this activity takes place near the Arctic Circle in the northern hemisphere, when solar activity is strong, it can expand to cover a greater area – which explains why the Northern Lights can occasionally be seen as far south as the UK. In mid-August, the lights were visible as far south as Cornwall, while May saw an equally strong showing across the UK and around the world due to the Sun reaching its peak in activity.
Current forecasts suggest that there is another chance to see the Northern Lights on Friday night into Saturday, although it is less likely than Thursday. However, it’s still worth keeping an eye on the skies just in case!
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