The Met Office has forecasted that the Northern Lights are set to light up the night skies across parts of northern England and beyond into the early hours. Best viewed in areas with little to no light pollution, the ethereal spectacle is expected to be most visible in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern regions of England and Wales, but sightings may extend further south.
Stargazers have been advised by meteorologists to seek out dark locations and consider using a long exposure camera, which is more adept at capturing the lights than the human eye due to its ability to adjust to various wavelengths, reports the Liverpool Echo. Andrea Bishop, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said: “Aurora activity is expected to peak on Monday following the forecast arrival of a coronal mass ejection. However, for the UK, this period is expected to coincide with daylight hours.”
“Lingering effects are still likely to persist into Monday night and early Tuesday morning though, meaning that aurora is likely to be visible where skies are clear from Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as parts of England and Wales, mainly in the north.”
The Met Office said: “It’s not possible to predict how far south the coronal mass ejection may be seen or pick out cities, but in terms of visibility overnight, there are generally clear skies for most tonight, however, it will be cloudier across the Northern Isles and western Scotland, with patchy rain and drizzle as well as cloudier skies in Northern Ireland. There’s also patchy cloud for some in the southeast and East Anglia.”
The Northern Lights are best seen in remote, open areas with views of the northern horizon, and are unlikely to be visible until it gets very dark. The colourful displays are created when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles, emitting light at various wavelengths.
The Northern Lights are usually confined to a band around the North Pole known as the aurora oval, which covers latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees. However, when activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area, which is why displays can occasionally be seen as far south as the UK.