People up late tonight could catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights according to the Met Office, with those in Scotland and Northern England having the highest chances of all
Skywatchers could get a glimpse of the Northern Lights tonight, with people in the far north of the country told to keep an eye out.
The Northern Lights are usually seen over the likes of Iceland, Alaska, Canada, Norway and Finland, but can be seen further south and into Europe in the right conditions.
The Met Office, in an earlier update, revealed the chances are there tonight for some people to see the aurora borealis in their home towns, without having to jet off. And overnight the odds for Scotland and northern England are increasing, with people told to keep an eye out.
Marks & Spencer’s pearl handbag hailed as ‘the perfect summer bag’ by shoppers
The Met Office wrote on social media: “There is an expected enhancement in solar activity later on today, lasting overnight.
“This could mean that there will be another chance to see the aurora tonight, where clear spells develop across Scotland and perhaps parts of northern England.”
The Met Office has shared a map showing where has the best chance to see it tonight, stretching from Scotland down to the north of England – unless of course clouds get in the way. For skies not covered by clouds, people may have a very chance of seeing the impressive sight before the night is out.
In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees. When activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area.
Last year experts said there could be more sightings of the Northern Lights this year. Elizabeth J McGrath, from Colby College, said: “The sun has been very active recently, and we expect it to continue through 2025.
“Normally we only see the aurora at locations close to Earth’s magnetic north and south poles because charged particles from the sun get trapped by the Earth’s magnetic field and funnelled to the poles.
“With stronger solar storms during solar maximum, there are more charged particles from the sun, and when these particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field, they can be distributed farther from Earth’s north and south magnetic poles, reaching more southerly latitudes here on Earth.”
Tonight’s forecast is for clear spells in the north “allowing rural frost and isolated mist and fog patches to form”, so people may yet catch a glimpse of the lights.
