Red alert issued for Northern Lights in UK tonight as best places to spot them revealed
A red alert has been raised - but not for anything negative (thankfully).
It's all to do with the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, a stunning natural light display that appears in the sky.
Star gazers in the UK have been told to look up tonight (16 April), as experts believe that the phenomenon will be visible.
They are more commonly seen over the world's northern countries such as Canada, Finland, Iceland and Norway, but on this rare occasion, we'll be treated to the stunning sights.
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The sun is fast approaching its 'solar maximum' in its 11-year cycle, which means that the Northern Lights are more visible, around the July 2025 mark.
But for now, people in certain parts of the country have been told to keep an eye out for an early peak at them.
What are the Northern Lights?
They can also be seen in southern Europe on rarer occasions, but just last night (15 April), our planet was hit with a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME).
To simplify the science behind it, the display occurs when charged particles from the Sun collide with the Earth's atmosphere, which is exactly what has happened with the CME.
The ejection of plasma mass from the Sun's corona into the heliosphere will cause the explosion of mesmerising lights that thousands will enjoy this evening, as a result of these charged particles flying towards us through space at about one million miles per hour.
Where are the best places to see the Northern Lights?
With optimal weather conditions, that's with a clear sky and an absence of too many clouds, the aurora borealis should be visible tonight.
A red alert was issued by AuroraWatch UK, signalling that a sighting is 'highly likely', and while the peak of its activity was last night, a statement from the Met Office has revealed that the best places are to spot it are in the North of England and Scotland.
Their Northern Hemisphere aurora forecast reads: "A coronal mass ejection (CME) arrived at Earth in the late afternoon on April 15.
"Its associated effects may continue into Wednesday night and may bring aurora to far northern parts of the UK and similar geomagnetic latitudes. The auroral oval will ease to background levels thereafter."
When can I see the Northern Lights again?
If you're already booked tonight, not to fear, as experts have revealed that there will be more sightings of the Northern Lights this year, thanks to the Sun reaching its solar maximum.
Speaking to the Mirror, Elizabeth J McGrath, from Colby College, explained: “The sun has been very active recently, and we expect it to continue through 2025.”
She added that the aurora is more visible in locations nearer to the Earth's 'magnetic north and south poles' as charged particles tend to get trapped by the planet's magnetic field.
McGrath added that stronger solar storms take place during solar maximum, as there are more charged particles from the Sun, and this results in them being distributed further and further away from the poles.
Topics: Science, Space, UK News, Weather, Environment
Joshua Nair