Eyes to the skies tonight
The Northern Lights could be visible from parts of the UK tonight as a huge solar storm hits Earth.
One of the most incredible spectacles the natural world has to offer, the aurora borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, occur ewhen lectrically-charged particles are given off by solar storms and eventually collide with the earth’s atmosphere.
Increased solar flare activity sends out electrically charged particles from the sun which become trapped in by the Earth’s magnetic field.
Once trapped, the particles then heat up atoms in the Earth’s atmosphere by smashing into them, resulting in the bright colours we know as the Northern Lights.
The lights are usually visible from countries closest to the Arctic, such as Canada, Iceland and Norway.
But when there is particularly large amount of solar activity, they can be visible further south than usual – such as from northern parts of the UK.
A Met Office space weather forecast has said there is a chance of minor/moderate geomagnetic storms on July 20, thanks to a recent ‘cannibal’ Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the sun.
So, the increased solar activity means the lights could be seen in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland tonight.
Whether your lucky enough to see them will depend largely on how clear the skies are and the reduced hours of darkness in the summer mean it is very difficult to say exactly where they may be visible from.
People in rural areas with less light pollution than cities will have the best chance of seeing the display, and will of course have to hope it isn’t a cloudy night.
The Met Office’s forecast reads: “A couple of CMEs are likely to glance Earth over the next two days, leading to chance of minor or moderate geomagnetic storming and possible aurora sightings across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England.
“However viewing opportunities are expected to be limited due to short hours of darkness at this time of year. There is then a trend for reduced geomagnetic activity through the remainder of the period with the auroral oval returning to background levels.”
It added of the lights: “The best conditions to view the lights are when the sky is dark and clear of any clouds. Cloud cover ultimately blocks the view of the light.
“Ideally, the lights will be best viewed away from any light pollution, in remote areas, facing the northern horizon – north-facing coasts produce some of the best viewing locations.”
Along with causing the aurora borealis, solar storms can create disruption for us on Earth.
The largest solar storms can cause different weather patterns and can even knock out electronics systems and disrupt radio signals.
Sean Elvidge, associate professor of space environment at the University of Birmingham, told MailOnline: “These storms manifest as major disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field, potentially causing various space weather effects.
“On one hand, they can result in radio blackouts, disrupting communication systems on our planet. On the other hand, these storms can produce awe-inspiring displays of natural beauty known as auroras.”
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