The UK has been witnessing tonnes of celestial spectacles recently. Two meteor showers lit up the skies in July, the magnificent Perseids meteor shower peaked in August and in September lights were seen up and down the land. On top of that, the past few days have seen even more warnings that the northern lights could be visible once again this weekend.
Back in May the lights were seen up and down the land, from Scotland to Cornwall, and even in London – which is usually too far south and has too much light pollution. They were seen again through July and reappeared at the beginning of August for some parts of the country. September was the next major sighting, with warnings again in place even for London – then the same again happened on the first weekend of October and again yesterday (October 11) in London. Aurora is predicted for the capital once more this weekend – find out all about that here.
RECOMMENDED: The northern lights will be much more frequent in the south of England from now on – here’s why.
Aurora borealis (as the lights are otherwise known) is more commonly seen in far northern parts of the country like Scotland and Northern Ireland. Nationwide displays are a very rare occurrence indeed, as are sightings in northern England. So, want to get a glimpse of the fabled phenomenon? Below is everything you need to know about spotting aurora borealis here in the UK.
What are the northern lights?
The northern lights generally appear in high latitude regions such as the Arctic or Scandinavia.
Their colourful glow is caused by a stream of charged particles that have escaped the sun (known as solar wind) interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field. The particles hit our atmosphere at high speed and combine with oxygen and nitrogen to create a multicoloured burst. A green glow is associated with oxygen while nitrogen causes the appearance of purple, blue and pink.
How to see the northern lights in the UK
Your best bet is to keep an eye on the AuroraWatch X feed. See a ‘red’ alert? Quick, get somewhere dark and light pollution-free!
The northern lights are often visible to the naked eye throughout much of Scotland. The further north you go, the better your chances. Southern areas of Scotland, England and Wales are also sometimes able to catch sight of the aurora, though typically only in rural areas with little light pollution.
Want to see the phenomenon? Conditions in the sky need to be as clear and cloud-free as possible. Try to find a dark location with as little light pollution as possible (you can’t go wrong with one of these spots). For optimum viewing, face the northern horizon.
What’s the best time to see the aurora?
The lights are viewable after sundown (check your local sunset/sunrise times for exact timings). The best sightings are when the skies are darkest, which is normally around midnight.
When will the northern lights be visible again?
The UK is currently seeing an increased amount of borealis activity – and the past few days have been even more proof of that. That said, the chance to see this wonder of nature doesn’t come around too often and the lights are notoriously hard to predict.
Predictions change for different parts of the northern hemisphere, too. But it’s worth knowing the late September to mid-March is typically thought of as the best period to see the lights and is what some like to call ‘aurora season’. In other words, we’ve just entered peak aurora season.
To keep an eye on the lights’ activity you can look at the AuroraWatch website. Don’t fancy waiting around? Here’s our list of the best places in the world to catch a glimpse of the northern lights.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.