With reports of spectacular views of the northern lights on Thursday night, including sightings as far south as Kent in the UK, we look at what causes the phenomenon and how to catch a glimpse.
What are the northern lights?
The northern lights, or aurora borealisappear as bright, dynamic curtains of color in the night sky of the northern hemisphere.
In the southern hemisphere the same phenomenon is known as aurora australis or the southern lights.
These beautiful displays result from activity on the sun. During events known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), the sun ejects plasma – a super-hot gas made up of charged particles. When these particles move toward Earth, they can interact with the planet’s magnetic field, resulting in a geomagnetic storm.
Some of these particles are directed towards the Earth’s magnetic poles and give energy to atoms and molecules in the atmosphere such as oxygen and nitrogen. These gases then emit energy in the form of light.
The phenomenon typically occurs at high latitudes – think Canada, Scandinavia and near the south pole – larger CMEs mean the aurora can be seen further away from the poles.
Where and when can I see them?
Many people have already reported spectacular views on Thursday, but there is a chance that the light show will be visible again on Friday, at least for some.
“The chances of aurora initially remain, although gradually diminish until October 11, becoming increasingly limited to far northern geomagnetic latitudes by October 13,” said the UK Met Office.
The service reported that cloudy skies may reduce the likelihood of a sighting in the UK on Friday night, and that the best chance is in Scotland.
In the southern hemisphere, the Met Office said possible sightings of the aurora in Tasmania and New Zealand would diminish on Friday, and again the spectacle would be increasingly restricted to high latitudes by October 13.
Data from the Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggest the northern lights could be visible across much of North America on Friday, including Canada and and the northern parts of the US states of Minnesota, North Dakota, Washington and Montana.
What is the best way to see or photograph them?
“If the aurora are forecast to be visible over your local area, the best way to see them is to get away from any light pollution or other bright light sources,” said Jake Foster, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
“To the naked eye, the aurora is unlikely to look very colorful, so taking pictures of the sky with a long exposure or night mode will be the best way to know if the aurora is actually happening overhead,” said he said and remarked. that the longer the exposure time the more light the camera can capture and the brighter the image will be.
When taking a photo, don’t forget to steady your camera – a tripod can help – and turn off the flash.
“Activity can wax and wane markedly over the course of a few minutes, so a little patience can be rewarded,” Foster said.
Why were there so many chances to see the northern lights this year?
The lights were spotted this year in many places and further south than usual. It is because the sun is thought to be at the peak of its 11-year cycle of activity, meaning more CMEs are occurring and those hoping to spot the aurora are in luck.
