The Northern Lights are visible in the UK's skies tonight with only the naked eye. Sightings of the Aurora Borealis phenomenon have been seen across various parts of the country on Saturday, October 10, following a forecast by the Met Office that the startling space colours will be viewable overnight.
Sightings reported across the UK
Reports from social media site Reddit have already poured in from across the UK this evening, with sightings in the North of England, Scotland and even the Midlands for the unusual astrological phenomenon.
@astronemma said: "The further north you are the better, but I've heard reports from the Midlands. Bigger thing will be the cloud coverage."
Aurora Watch UK also issued a red alert for sightings of the aurora borealis on Saturday night, as more and more confirmed sightings were reported.
Met Office space weather forecast
The Met Office said in its space weather forecast for Saturday: "Two glancing coronal mass ejections followed by a coronal hole high speed stream bring a daily chance of enhancing the auroral oval, with sightings possible across Scotland and similar geomagnetic longitudes where skies are clear between 10-13 Oct"
How and where to see the Northern Lights in the UK
Keen northern lights spotters are best placed to head to high points, hills, and dark places away from big cities and light pollution to give themselves the best chance of spying the lights.
Fortunately, the weather tonight is looking mercifully clear in many parts of the UK, so you may well get to see them if you look up tonight.
The Met Office explains when an aurora is usually visible in the UK and why in its guidance. It says: "As the UK is south of where the natural aurora belt occurs (Norway/Iceland/Greenland), it takes a severe or extreme geomagnetic storm (Kp8-9+) to bring the belt southwards directly over the UK. This is a very rare occurrence. During more moderate to strong geomagnetic storms (Kp6-7), the Aurora borealis often moves southwards across southern Iceland or towards the Faeroes. These auroras can be faintly visible from the UK because they occur at high altitudes."
Met Office tips for spotting the Northern Lights
You need a clear night with no cloud cover. Find a dark location with no light pollution. Look toward the northern horizon. Be cautious that geomagnetic activity can cause disturbances to satellite navigation (GNSS/GPS etc).
