The stunning spectacle is taking place as the debris from a massive Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) which erupted from the Sun on Monday finally strikes Earth, leading to a dazzling light show
The UK is set to witness a dazzling northern lights display tonight, as the the aurora borealis is forecast to be seen over a wide swathe of the country.
Sightings could even be made in the south of England overnight tonight, some forecasts predict.
Space weather conditions are perfect for a display, with a period of intense solar activity meaning the beautiful lights will be visible even in more southerly regions tonight.
The northern lights are set to be visible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England and Wales tonight, conditions permitting.
Meanwhile they could also be spotted further south in the country, if activity remains similar to last night.
The stunning spectacle is taking place as the solar particles from a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) which burst out of the Sun on Monday finally reaches the Earth.
The CME is a large cloud of plasma ejected into space, it usually accompanies a Solar Flare, which is an eruption of light and radiation.
When the disruption from the CME reaches Earth, interactions with our planet’s magnetic field cause the iconic lights in the upper atmosphere.
Aurora Watch UK issued a red alert between midnight and 3am last night as it was “likely that aurora will be visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK”.
This is unusual as normally only more northerly areas are able to see the northern lights with the naked eye. However with the debris from the solar storm striking the Earth this weekend it may be visible from further south.
Solar activity could remain high, according to the Met Office‘s Space Weather Forecast, meaning the aurora could be widely seen again tonight.
It said: “Solar winds will be between slightly elevated and elevated at first, following the arrival of the second of the anticipated CMEs.
“Several further CME arrivals are forecast to potentially arrive at or near to Earth through March 21, likely increasing solar winds to become elevated to strong at times.
“In addition a coronal hole fast wind is expected from March 21 and this could maintain elevated to strong solar wind through the period.”
The northern lights are also more likely to be seen at this time of year as around the spring equinox the Earth’s alignment with the Sun means it is more exposed to solar wind activity.
Your best chance of seeing the aurora is on a clear night, finding a dark location without light pollution and facing north.
