It’s one of the most spectacular sights in the night sky and can result in some fantastic Instagram-worthy snaps.
And tonight, Brits should turn their eyes to the skies as the Northern Lights – also known as aurora borealis – will be visible in Britain.
The Met Office says people in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland can see the colorful light display with the naked eye.
That means those as far south as Newcastle, Belfast and the Isle of Man can catch a glimpse by looking north after nightfall.
It comes as a massive solar storm hits Earth, which could also impact radios and aviation communications and affect the functioning of satellites.
The aurora borealis appears over Bamburgh lighthouse, in Northumberland on the northeast coast of England, November 5, 2023
The Northern Lights are most often seen over places closer to the Arctic Circle, such as Scandinavia and Alaska, so any sighting over Britain is a treat for skygazers.
On average, the aurora can be seen every few months in the far north of Scotland, but becomes more difficult to see the further south you go.
Auroras are caused by disturbances in the Earth’s ‘magnetosphere’ (the system of magnetic fields) due to strong activity on the Sun.
Tonight’s aurora is the result of a coronal mass ejection (CME) – a massive ejection of plasma from the sun’s corona, its outermost layer.
The high-energy particles left the sun on Saturday and traveled towards us at hundreds of kilometers per second before bombarding our magnetosphere – commonly known as a ‘solar storm’.
At this point, some of the energy and small particles can travel along the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into our planet’s atmosphere.
There, the particles interact with gases in our atmosphere, resulting in beautiful light shows in the sky, known as auroras.
Oxygen emits green and red light, while nitrogen glows blue and purple.
Although not dangerous to humans, the aurora particles can damage power grids on Earth and satellites in orbit, leading to internet disruptions.
The Met Office has unveiled the aurora oval – the ring-like range of aurora activity that determines where the Northern Lights will be most visible.
A Met Office animation shows the aurora oval – the ring-like range of polar activity that defines the range of the Northern Lights and where it will be most visible
The aurora is the result of a coronal mass ejection (CME) – a massive ejection of plasma from the Sun’s corona, its outermost layer (artist’s image)
The Northern Lights seen over St Leonard’s Head in St Andrews, Scotland, February 27, 2023
“There is a chance of seeing the aurora on January 22 and 23 due to the arrival of a CME that left the sun on January 20,” the Met Office said in a statement.
‘As impacts increase, Scotland, northern England, Northern Ireland and similar latitudes will have the best chance of overhead aurora observations in clear skies.’
Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere – where it is known as aurora australis – the spectacle should be visible in Tasmania and southern New Zealand.
“There is a good chance of enhancement of the auroral oval on the current UTC evening, perhaps eventually becoming visible over far southern New Zealand and Tasmania, although limited by long daylight hours,” the Met Office added.
In North America, the best chance of seeing the aurora tonight comes from Canada and Alaska, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
People in northern parts of Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin will also be able to see the event, although it will likely be weaker.
NOAA has rated it ‘G2’ (on a scale of one to five), so it is considered ‘moderate’, meaning it could disrupt space satellites and power grids, including ‘potentially widespread voltage regulation problems’ .
According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), we are most likely to see the aurora over Canada and Alaska tonight.
The Northern Lights are most often seen over places closer to the Arctic Circle, such as Scandinavia and Alaska, so any sighting over Britain is a treat for skygazers. Pictured is the aurora as seen in Sommaroy, Norway, November 19, 2023
An aurora is caused by disturbances in the Earth’s magnetosphere due to a stream of particles from the Sun and is usually located around the Earth’s magnetic poles. It is pictured here through the window of an airplane flying between Spitsbergen and Tromsø, Norway on January 5, 2024
According to the Met Office, people with a decent camera should be able to take decent pictures of the aurora, even if it isn’t visible to the naked eye.
“Cameras help because the long exposure lets in a lot of light and enhances the colors more than the human eye can see,” a spokesperson said.
‘That’s why you sometimes see pictures as far south as Cornwall, even though it’s unlikely you’ll ever be able to see it that far south with the naked eye.’
Aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise, but is not visible during the day.
The Northern Lights (aurora borealis) above St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay on the northeast coast of England. Photo date: April 24, 2023
The best way to see the stunning displays is to find a dark spot, away from light pollution such as street lights and ideally a cloud-free sky.
Look north if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, but look south if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere – and set your camera the same way.
Some of the best aurora spots in Britain are in high altitude areas (closer to the magnetosphere) and away from cities that pollute the air with artificial light.
These aurora hotspots include the Lake District in Cumbria, Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, the Shetland Islands and Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.