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Look up tonight! Northern lights could be visible as far south as Newcastle as a ‘double whammy’ of solar storms hits Earth – how and when to see them
- The Northern Lights may be visible tonight from the very south of northern England
- Auroras may also occur over the next two nights, the Met Office claims
A stunning display of the Northern Lights could be on the horizon for many lucky Britons tonight, with a ‘double whammy’ of solar storms set to slam into Earth.
Lucky stargazers from the far south of Newcastle may have the chance to see the colorful aurora that results from a coronal mass ejection (CME).
This consists of a sudden release of plasma from the sun’s corona – the outer part of the atmosphere – which is composed of charged particles.
In a fast wind environment, these move into the Earth’s atmosphere and appear as a vibrant array of colors in the night sky.
The Met Office says the aurora will form over Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the potential to extend over northern England as well.
The Northern Lights may be visible tonight from the very south of northern England. Pictured: Northern Lights in Northumberland
A spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘The Northern Lights may be enhanced tonight with the arrival of a coronal mass ejection.
‘They will probably reach Scotland, parts of Northern England and Northern Ireland.
“Visibility can be poor for many, however, with cloud cover and rain for many in those regions at night, and just a short window where it’s dark enough as we are in summer.”
While it’s possible this could spread as far south as Newcastle, the Met Office also said it’s difficult to pinpoint specific cities thanks to overnight cloud cover.
Shorter hours of darkness also add to this uncertainty, as the summer solstice occurred just a few weeks ago.
Still, forecasts show that auroras will trot across the UK for three evenings from midnight tonight to July 9.
The Northern Lights are predicted to shine brightest between midnight and 3am tonight, covering not only the UK but also the US East Coast in a horseshoe formation.
They may then head north before circulating back to the UK, with an aurora perhaps seen again tomorrow night between 9pm and midnight.
After that, the northern tip of the UK may get a chance to see the aurora one last time on Saturday/Sunday sometime between 9pm and 3am.
The Northern Lights will then weaken further and slide north over Greenland, the east coast of the US and regions of Russia.
The Northern Lights are predicted to shine brightest between midnight and 3am tonight, covering not only the east coast of the UK, but also the east coast of the US in a horseshoe-shaped formation
The aurora may then move north before circulating back into the UK, with an aurora perhaps visible again tomorrow night between 9pm and midnight
But those south of the world in Australia and New Zealand are unlikely to see the aurora.
This is quite common, as auroras are most likely to be seen from the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.
Oxygen gives off green and red light, while nitrogen glows blue and purple, and the lights are more commonly seen in winter when nights are cold, long, and dark.
The energy and small particles of solar activity travel along the magnetic field lines to the Earth’s poles, so they appear strongest there.
The phenomenon is only seen from further away when this activity is particularly strong.
To see an aurora, a dark, clear sky is a must, as the Northern Lights cannot be seen during the day.
The spectacle doesn’t have to be directly overhead, but can be seen from up to 1,000 km away, provided it shines brightly, according to the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.