Can I see the Northern Lights tonight?

THE Met Office has excited Brits across the country, with the prospects of seeing the Northern Lights tonight.

The mesmerising night-time display erupted across UK skies last night and is “likely” to return again this evening, according to the forecaster.

GettyThe Northern Lights can be seen over the UK on October 11 and 12[/caption]

What time can I see the Northern Lights?

Some lucky Brits were able to spot the Northern Lights last night, and even on March 14 last year.

Although quite rare, the Northern Lights can appear in the UK from time to time.

If you’re in the mood to do some stargazing tonight, you might be lucky between 10pm and 1am.

That three-hour period is the most popular time for the Northern Lights to appear.

In the UK, they normally last till early March.

So, you might still catch a small sight of beautiful phenomenon.

What are the best locations in the UK to see the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights are most visible above parts of England’s north, Scotland and Northern Ireland during this geomagnetic storm.

But they can also be spotted further south, such as in Wiltshire and Cornwall.

You might not be able to see the lights on this opportunity but here are the best locations across the UK to prepare yourself for next time:

Scottish HighlandsScottish IslesNorth of Northern Ireland, towards The Malin SeaGiant’s Causeway in Northern IrelandCumbria in North West EnglandLake DistrictThe Cornish CoastExmouth National Park in DevonAnglesey in WalesPembrokshire in WalesThe mountains of Carneddau in Snowdonia, WalesBrecon Beacons Mountains in Wales

What is a solar flare?

It is a flash of increased brightness from the sun which is often joined by a coronal mass ejection – which is a huge expulsion of plasma from the sun’s outer layer, called the corona.

It happens when a massive burst of material from the sun prompts a geomagnetic storm, which interferes with the Earth’s magnetic field.

A solar flare has the ability to disturb the Earth’s atmosphere, disrupting radio signals, power grids and causing a shift in auroras.

As it heads towards Earth, bringing the aurora to lower latitudes, it allows the northern lights to become visible from the UK.

This is when they can also be seen further south.

GettySome lucky Brits in the north and Scotland witnessed the stunning display[/caption]

TWITTER / @ST0NEHENGEThe lights were also spotted over Stone Henge in Wiltshire, the south west of England[/caption]

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]

  Read More