When and where to see the Northern Lights tonight

Thursday night is forecast to be ‘ideal viewing conditions’ for the solar storm

Thursday night could be your chance to see the Northern Lights in the UK if you missed the last solar storm.
The Met Office has drummed up anticipation among aurora hunters by forecasting “ideal viewing conditions” this evening.
The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, appear as large areas of colour in the night sky and occur as a consequence of solar activity.
A period of flares and mass ejections of coronal plasma has accompanied a recent moderate geomagnetic storm, prompting speculation over aurora visibility.
Hardy Britons are preparing to take to beaches, hilltops and their back gardens to catch a glimpse of the elusive aurora borealis as it shimmers in the sky.
The Met Office wrote on X: “You might want to look up at the sky tonight because there’s the chance of seeing the aurora.
“Clear skies for most overnight will make for ideal viewing conditions, with sightings possible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England.”
The Northern Lights could be visible in parts of the UK from Thursday evening onwards, with the peak during the early hours of Friday morning.
Jonathan Vautrey, the operational meteorologist at the Met Office, told The Telegraph: “Geomagnetic activity started today after a coronal mass ejection (CME) arrived this morning.
“This activity is expected to continue into this evening, so as it turns darker there is the chance of aurora sightings.
“The first half of the night is likely to be best for viewings.”
The series of solar eruptions has been classified as “high to moderate solar activity” with a “slight chance of further Strong (X-class) flares”.
Meteorologists have said Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England are the best places to see any upcoming auroras.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which monitors space weather, explains: “The aurora does not need to be directly overhead but can be observed from as much as a 1000 km away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right.”
Mr Vautrey recommended those wishing to see the Northern Lights head to the countryside or somewhere dark, away from light pollution and the “ambient lighting of cities”.
He said: “The greatest chance of visible sightings with the naked eye is for Scotland.
“But there is also chance of viewings across Northern Ireland and northern England, perhaps as far south as the north Norfolk coast.
“Those in the south will more likely need to rely on use of a good camera or telescope.
Dr Greg Brown, astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, was less sure about aurora sightings.
He told The Telegraph: “While there is a moderate geomagnetic storm in progress, the activity is not expected to be strong enough to result in aurorae visible from the UK, whether with the eye or with a camera.
“The activity is far below that which produced the dramatic display seen earlier this year.”
AuroraWatch UK, which is part of Lancaster University, put out an amber alert meaning “aurora is likely to be visible by eye” from Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland.
“Photographs of aurora are likely from anywhere in the UK,” the service added.
The first successful photo of the aurora borealis was not taken until 1892, more than 50 years after photography was invented.
While technology has improved considerably since then, there are still some technical tricks worth noting to improve your photos.
A tripod and a remote shutter release or self-timer are useful to prevent any movement when you make your exposure.
To get more of the sky in frame, a wide-angle lens of 35mm to 14mm on a full-frame camera is recommended.
To best pick out the colours, set your camera’s white balance to 3500k and use your camera’s RAW file setting if there is one.
For the exposure, try starting with an ISO of 1600 or 3200, an aperture of f/2.8 or f/4 and try a shutter speed of 8 to 15 seconds, depending on the brightness of the auroras.
An aurora borealis forms when charged particles in solar winds collide with molecules in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
The NOAA has classed this bout of space weather as a G2 event, which is considered moderate.
Geomagnetic storms pose the threat of disrupting power and communications on Earth and in orbit.
The agency’s website explains: “The aurora is an indicator of the current geomagnetic storm conditions and provides situational awareness for a number of technologies.
“The aurora directly impacts HF radio communication and GPS/GNSS satellite navigation. It is closely related to the ground induce currents that impact electric power transition.”