Met Office verdict as Brits could see Northern Lights tonight - list of hotspots
The Aurora Borealis may be visible over areas of the UK on Saturday, and the Met Office has revealed its expert verdict on where is best to spot them.
People across many areas of Britain may be able to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights tonight (Saturday, October 5) - with the phenomenon set to be visible further south than usual.
Also known as Aurora Borealis, the lights are normally confined to higher latitudes, with many people travelling to Norway or Iceland to catch a rare glimpse of them during the winter months.
However recent solar flare activity on the sun means the auroras will be stronger than usual.
As a result the Met Office believes where is a "good chance of visible aurora" in some areas of the country.
The northern half of the UK is most likely to be able to see the lights, including Scotland, Northern Ireland, North East England, Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire - however the Met Office has said the aurora may also be visible further south.
As well as when and where you are in the country, other factors including weather conditions in the area and the amount of light pollution will also play a part in whether the lights are visible.
The latest Met Office prediction for tonight states: "CMEs [coronal mass ejections] arising from two strong solar flares late in the past working week are expected in the current UTC weekend, with one potentially imminent and the second straddling the two UTC weekend days.
"There is some uncertainty as to how these combine, but the northern half of the UK and similar geomagnetic latitudes stand a good chance of visible aurora where weather conditions allow, and there is a slight chance of views from further south.
"Auroral activity should gradually lessen into the coming working week (barring new events)."
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Those who hope to catch a glimpse of the lights, which are caused by solar storms reacting with gases in Earth’s atmosphere are most likely to catch the spectacle late at night – usually from 11pm to 12am onwards.
Silvia Dalla, professor of solar physics at the University of Central Lancashire told the Press Association: "To maximise your chances of viewing the aurora, the sky needs to be as clear as possible.
“Look northwards and try to find a place with dark skies, ideally away from a city where light pollution can interfere with the view."
