A few weeks ago, all across the UK (and indeed the world), pictures poured in of the Northern Lights taking over the sky. Reports of the show in the sky came from all over and it was a frankly stunning sight.
That is – if you were awake to see it… You see some of us (perhaps me) were happily ensconced in our beds when the light show took over the sky. And I won’t say I’m bitter – but I may have spent the next day pouting about missing it… Maybe… But if you’re like me (and countless others who missed it) fret not – because the Northern Lights could return within a matter of weeks.
When will the Northern Lights return?
Now, there’s a certain amount of luck involved with the Northern Lights. They require a specific combination of solar activity and geothermal storms. The sun also needs to be aimed at Earth when solar eruptions are firing out. These solar eruptions come from a specific sunspot. When that sunspot faces away from us the solar eruptions won’t trigger Northern Lights displays, even with the right geothermal activity.
With the sun currently rotating on its axis, the sunspot is slowly turning towards Earth again and will be facing us in early June. This could result, if all of the conditions are met, in another aurora display. But, as always, it still requires the correct combination of weather phenomena. We’ve got our fingers crossed anyway!
Increased solar activity means that we could be treated to more Northern Lights displays than usual. The sun is currently in its most active portion of an 11-year cycle. That means it’s prime time for the lights to appear.
Where will we be able to see them?
As always, the best places to see the Northern Lights are those away from light pollution, and the farther north (in the UK at least) the better. The Met Office explains that “the northern lights are best witnessed in Scotland, North England, North Wales and Northern Ireland. However under severe space weather conditions, the lights can be seen throughout the UK.”
So, if you really want to maximise your chances of seeing the Northern Lights return, get out of Manchester city centre and strike out in a more northerly direction!
Keep up to date with aurora predictions and space weather phenomena at the Met Office’s Space Weather site.