A pair of solar storms hurtling towards Earth is expected to produce spectacular northern lights visible as far south as Birmingham and Norwich on Monday night, forecasters say. The rare event, dubbed a 'cannibal CME' by scientists, occurs when a second, larger coronal mass ejection (CME) overtakes and engulfs the first just before reaching our atmosphere.
The UK Met Office predicts the aurora borealis could be seen from Monday night through Wednesday night across most parts of the country. 'A fast-moving coronal mass ejection that departed the Sun late on 30 August is forecast to arrive at Earth late on 1 September or early on 2 September,' the agency stated. 'At peak activity, and where skies are sufficiently dark and clear, aurora may be visible as far south as East Anglia, the Midlands, Wales, and other regions at similar geomagnetic latitudes – without the need for photographic equipment.'
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts the aurora will stretch as far south as Michigan, Montana and New York. In the Southern Hemisphere, the aurora australis is expected across southern parts of Australia and New Zealand. Auroras occur when material from the Sun interacts with Earth's atmosphere, producing colourful light displays.
The best viewing conditions are areas with low light pollution and minimal cloud cover. The Met Office suggests the early morning hours of Tuesday, 2 September, offer the best chance to see the northern lights in the UK. However, a waxing gibbous Moon may partly hinder visibility at certain times.
