Northern Lights set to return tonight
Here's hoping for good weather!
Last updated 3 hours ago
It's a rare occurrence in the UK, but on Monday (19th January) we were treated to an amazing display of the Aurora Borealis, known to many as the Northern Lights. Now it looks like viewers in the UK could be in for even more tonight (20th January) and Wednesday... if the weather is good.
From the north of Scotland to the south of England, and even across Europe, members of the public were posting beautiful colours of green, pink and purple, as the Earth's atmosphere is bombarded by particles from the Sun.
When will the Northern Lights be visible next in the UK?
While the weather isn't looking very promising, some people were able to see very pretty aurora from as far south as Devon and even across Europe, on Monday night. As the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), which causes the aurora will continue until Wednesday, it's likely that viewers will get a chance to see it again, if the weather permits.
What causes the Northern Lights?
Aurora is caused by particles from the Sun hitting the Earth's atmosphere, which in turn causes the amazing colours we see in the sky. The Sun is going through an active phase, and several Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and solar flares are causing a geomagnetic storm (disturbance in the Earth's atmosphere).
According to the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the latest storm is the strongest solar radiation storm since 1991. Watch the video below where they explain how the monitor the storm.
Why are they different colours?
The different colours from the aurora are created by the different gases in the Earth's atmosphere. The purple, blue or pink colours are caused by nitrogen, while the green colour comes from oxygen.
According to the Royal Museums Greenwich website, astronomer Tom says: "We sometimes see a wonderful scarlet red colour, and this is caused by very high altitude oxygen interacting with solar particles. This only occurs when the aurora is particularly energetic."
Take a look through our tips for viewing shooting stars and the aurora:
1. Dark sky
You might not realise how much light pollution there is in your neighbourhood, find out more about light pollution and where you can find a really dark sky here.
Allow your eyes 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Don't forget that the moon can also interfere so try to avoid times when it is visible.
2. Date and time
To increase your chances of seeing some meteors make sure you find out the best time to look for them. Often it is when the sky is at its darkest (in the middle of the night), or if there is a meteor shower, when the radiant (where the meteors come from - the constellation Leo) is high in the sky.
3. Look in the right area
It sounds obvious, but the sky is a very large area and meteors are very fast! Make sure you know which area of the sky you should be looking in. The Perseids come from Perseus, the easiest way to find it would be to use a free sky map app on your phone.
4. Good weather
Again, it seems obvious, but there's no point in standing in the cold when it's cloudy. Check the weather forecast before going outside, and if it's going to be clear later on then wait until then if you can.
5. Don't use a telescope or binoculars
Using a telescope or binoculars will DECREASE your chances of seeing a meteor. Meteors are so quick that you are likely to miss them if you don't use the naked eye. Save your telescope or binoculars for the moon or planets.
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