You don’t need to head over to Iceland to witness the natural phenomena of the Aurora Borealis, which has been seen as far south as Kent and Cornwall in recent months. If you’re wondering when’s the next time you should be on the lookout for the borealis. It’s tonight. So, here’s all you need to know about catching a glimpse of the famous Northern Lights.
Don’t worry if you missed it; more displays are expected tonight (Tuesday 20th January). The display is one of the best seen in a long time. You may think you need to head over to Iceland, Canada or Norway to see the Northern Lights, but you don’t.
According to the AuroraWatch UK app, it is likely that you could see the Northern Lights tonight. It’s on red alert, which means “it is likely that aurora will be visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK. Obviously, the weather has to be taken into account as well.
The colours that light up the sky can be seen in good old Yorkshire, as captured by local Photographer Alec Scott. Scott caught a spectacular shot of the Aurora Borealis in the North Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough back in October 2023. In his snap, he captured the beautiful colours that are the Nothern Lights. He pitched up to shoot the light,s taking this picture at 2:30 am.
The stunning colours, also known as the aurora borealis, are a product of solar activity and are caused by charged particles in the solar wind interacting with molecules in the upper atmosphere of the Earth.
Over the last few days, a strong solar flare on the Sun’s surface was directed towards Earth, with charged particles reaching our atmosphere on Sunday night.
This causes the sky to have hues like light green, pink, and tones of red, yellow, blue, and violet, which can be seen in Alec Scott’s shot over the Yorkshire Coast.
Being that the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales are Dark Sky Reserves, these areas are ideal for viewing the Northern Lights because they are dark and free of light pollution.
How to spot the Northern Lights…
Whilst there is a chance to see the Northern Lights over the next few days, there is no guarantee. Cloudy conditions and light pollution can affect visibility.
What you need is dark skies and a clear night to really get the most incredible sighting. So, if you’re looking to get a great glimpse, you need to head out of the city or head to higher ground to catch a glimpse.
If you’re wondering how to know when is best to see the Northern Lights, visit the AuroraWatchUK, which is run by the Department of Physics at Lancaster University and provides a real-time status tool, which was on red alert Sunday evening.
Read More: An Immersive Northern Lights Light Trail Is Coming To Yorkshire This Christmas
Feature Image Credit: Astro Dog
