Met Office reveals best time to see Northern Lights in UK this week
The Northern Lights could make yet another appearance in UK skies this week, the Met Office has said.
The stunning night sky display, also known as the aurora borealis, is typically only seen in northern latitudes, like Sweden, Norway, and northern Canada. However, the Northern Lights are more intense and frequent at the moment thanks to the solar cycle.
The Sun is currently at the peak of its 11-year cycle, with high levels of activity from the Sun increasing the chance of spectacular aurora displays until around mid-2025..
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Last week, the northern hemisphere entered astronomical spring following the spring equinox. The Northern Lights are more common during an equinox due to an alignment of the Earth's magnetic field with solar wind, the charged particles that trigger geomagnetic storms and, in turn, aurora displays.
After the Met Office forecast an "enhancement in solar activity" on Sunday evening (March 23), the weather agency has said aurora sightings might be possible for northern parts of the UK again this week.
The Met Office said: "There is a continuing chance of aurora sightings at times across northern Scotland this coming week, given clear night-time skies. This is due to further possible weak coronal mass ejections glances, along with another faster stream of solar winds arriving later mid-week."
According to Met Office aurora maps, the best time to see the Northern Lights is on Tuesday evening (March 25). The aurora could be visible from around 9pm and peak at around midnight (March 26).
The Northern Lights could also be visible the following night, with the aurora forecast to peak at midnight (March 27).
The Northern Lights are caused by large explosions of activity from the Sun, which throw out huge amounts of charged particles – called solar wind – into space. Massive explosions on the Sun are known as 'coronal mass ejections', according to the Greenwich Royal Observatory.
These particles stream away from the Sun at around one million miles per hour, the Met Office says. When they are captured by the Earth's magnetic field they can collide with gas molecules in the atmosphere in an event called a geomagnetic storm. Light is emitted from these collisions at various wavelengths, forming spectacular colourful displays in the sky.
In its four-day space weather forecast, the Met Office said a "coronal hole fast wind" could arrive from March 25 onwards, bringing a chance of "minor" geomagnetic storms.
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