Stargazers have been told to keep their eyes on the sky this weekend as the Northern Lights could be visible in the UK. The display, also known as aurora borealis, is most likely to be visible in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. 2024 has been a bumper year for aurora borealis sightings in the UK, with the highlight coming in May when it was visible in gardens across the country.
According to the Met Office, “Saturday night has the greatest likelihood of aurora sightings further south, across central England”. Those keen to catch a glimpse of the shades of green and purple dancing across the sky are most likely to catch the spectacle late at night – usually from 11pm to 12am onwards. “To maximise your chances of viewing the aurora, the sky needs to be as clear as possible.
“Look northwards and try to find a place with dark skies, ideally away from a city where light pollution can interfere with the view,” Silvia Dalla, professor of solar physics at the University of Central Lancashire said. A large solar flare on Thursday is behind this expected increase in space weather activity. The lights are caused by solar storms reacting with gases in Earth’s atmosphere.
Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which constantly watches the Sun, captured a huge flare, powerful burst of energy, on Thursday. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. This flare i.