It’s one of the most spectacular views of the night sky and can make for gorgeous, Instagram-worthy snaps.
And tonight, Brits should keep their eyes on the sky as the Northern Lights, also known as the Northern Lights, will be visible in the UK.
The Met Office says people in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland will be able to witness the colorful light show with the naked eye.
That means those as far south as Newcastle, Belfast and the Isle of Man could catch a glimpse of it looking north after dark.
It occurs when a huge solar storm hits Earth, which could also affect radios, aviation communications and degrade satellite operations.
The Northern Lights appear over Bamburgh Lighthouse in Northumberland, on the northeast coast of England, on November 5, 2023.
The Northern Lights are most commonly seen in places closer to the Arctic Circle, such as Scandinavia and Alaska, so any sightings in the UK are a treat for sky watchers.
On average, the aurora can be seen in the far north of Scotland every few months, but it becomes harder to see the further south you go.
Auroras are caused by disturbances in the Earth’s “magnetosphere” (its system of magnetic fields) due to the powerful activity of the sun.
Tonight’s aurora comes from a coronal mass ejection (CME), a massive ejection of plasma from the sun’s corona, its outermost layer.
High-energy particles left the sun on Saturday and traveled toward us at hundreds of kilometers per second before bombarding our magnetosphere, commonly known as a “solar storm.”
At this point, some of the energy and small particles can travel along the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into our planet’s atmosphere.
There, the particles interact with the gases in our atmosphere, resulting in beautiful displays of light in the sky, known as auroras.
Oxygen emits green and red light, while nitrogen glows blue and violet.
Although not dangerous to humans, aurora particles can damage Earth’s power grids and satellites in orbit, potentially causing Internet outages.
The Met Office has revealed the auroral oval, the ring-shaped range of auroral activity that determines where the northern lights will be most visible.
A Met Office animation shows the auroral oval – the ring-shaped range of auroral activity that determines the extent of the northern lights and where it will be most visible.
The aurora is due to a coronal mass ejection (CME), a massive ejection of plasma from the Sun’s corona, its outermost layer (artistic rendering)
The Northern Lights seen over St Leonard’s Head in St Andrews, Scotland, on February 27, 2023
“There is a possibility of seeing the aurora on January 22 and 23 due to the arrival of a CME that left the sun on January 20,” the Met Office said in a statement.
“If the effects increase, then Scotland, northern England, Northern Ireland and similar latitudes will have a better chance of seeing auroras from above where the sky is clear.”
Meanwhile, in the southern hemisphere – where it is known as the aurora australis – the spectacle should be visible in Tasmania and southern New Zealand.
“There is a good chance that the auroral oval will be enhanced in the current UTC afternoon, perhaps eventually becoming visible in the extreme south of New Zealand and Tasmania, although limited by the long daylight hours,” adds the Met Office. .
In North America, the best chance of seeing the aurora tonight is in Canada and Alaska, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
People in northern Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin could also see the event, although it will likely be weaker.
NOAA has rated it ‘G2’ (on a scale of one to five), so it is considered ‘moderate,’ meaning it could disrupt satellites in space and power grids, including ‘possible widespread voltage control’.
According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the best chance of seeing the aurora tonight is over Canada and Alaska.
The Northern Lights are most commonly seen in places closer to the Arctic Circle, such as Scandinavia and Alaska, so any sightings in the UK are a treat for sky watchers. Pictured is the aurora seen in Sommaroy, Norway, on November 19, 2023.
An aurora is created by disturbances in the Earth’s magnetosphere due to a flow of particles from the sun and is generally centered around the Earth’s magnetic poles. Shown here through the window of a plane flying between Svalbard and Tromso, Norway, on January 5, 2024.
According to the Met Office, people with a decent camera should be able to capture decent shots of the aurora even when it’s not visible to the naked eye.
“The cameras help, as long exposure lets in a lot of light and enhances colors more than the human eye can see,” a spokesperson said.
“That’s why you sometimes see images as far south as Cornwall, although you’re unlikely to be able to see them with the naked eye that far south.”
Auroras can often be observed somewhere on Earth just after sunset or just before sunrise, but they are not visible during daylight hours.
The Northern Lights (Northern Lights) over St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay, on the north east coast of England. Photo date: April 24, 2023
The best way to see the impressive displays is to find a dark location, away from light pollution such as streetlights, and ideally a cloudless sky.
Look north if you’re in the northern hemisphere, but look south if you’re in the southern hemisphere and set your camera the same way.
Some of the best aurora spots in the UK are in high elevation areas (closer to the magnetosphere) and away from cities that pollute the sky with artificial light.
These aurora hotspots include the Lake District in Cumbria, Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, the Shetland Islands and Whitley Bay in North Tyneside.