A 'red alert' has been issued for potential Northern Lights sightings across the UK tonight, Friday, May 17. The app Aurorawatch UK sent the alert due to intense geomagnetic activity from the Sun.
A red alert means that aurora is 'likely' to be seen. Aurorawatch UK stated that it is 'likely that aurora will be visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK', though visibility depends on weather and cloud cover.
This follows last week's stunning displays, when an 'extreme' geomagnetic storm, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), made the lights visible across the country.
The best viewing time is usually after 11pm until about 2am when it gets really dark. Chris Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, advised heading to areas with low light pollution and using a good camera. He noted that shorter nights at this time of year mean lights are unlikely to be visible until around 10.30pm or 11pm.
Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in Earth's atmosphere around the magnetic poles. In the northern hemisphere, most activity takes place within the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees. When activity is strong, this expands, explaining why displays can occasionally be seen as far south as the UK.
