Those dancing green lines are back
Here is the best way to maximise your chances of seeing the Northern Lights this weekend, following the Met Office’s latest update.
Earlier this year, the Northern Lights – or Aurora Borealis if we’re being scientific – decided to migrate south and light up our skies. The following few days saw the nation divided into two camps, those who had seen the Northern Lights and those who wasted no time in telling everyone and anyone that seeing the Northern Lights was overrated.
But if you’ve been unlucky in your Aurora spotting so far don’t you worry! The Met Office has announced that another explosion of geomagnetic activity is happening in our skies, with tonight (5 October) being our best chance at seeing those dancing green lines.
Explaining why tonight is our best bet to spot the lights, Space Weather Manager Krista Hammond told The Mirror: “There is the potential for a coronal mass ejection to arrive at Earth late on Friday or early on Saturday, which could lead to visible aurora for Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England. In addition, we recently observed an X9 solar flare – the largest of this solar cycle so far.”
Explaining why Saturday would have the strongest possibility of seeing the Northern Lights, she continued: “Saturday night has the greatest likelihood of aurora being visible, with a chance that aurora may be visible further south, across central England and similar latitudes.
Don’t be expecting to see this from your back garden (Getty Stock Images)
“Enhancement to the aurora may persist at higher latitudes throughout the remainder of the outlook period.”
What is the best way to watch the Northern Lights?
So you’re probably wondering what do I need to do in order to catch the Northern Lights? Turns out there’s quite a few things.
First of all you’ll need a clear night sky as you’re not going to be able to see the lights through the clouds, so make sure to check the weather before heading out into your back garden at 2am.
If you’re lucky enough to have a clear sky, the next thing you need to do is whip out your phone.
You may already be aware of this but the Northern Lights often looks a lot more impressive in photos than it does to the naked eye (talk about catfishing, nature edition), so a camera with a long exposure setting is a must have.
“Cameras help as the long exposure allows loads of light in and enhances the colours more than the human eye can see,” a spokesperson for the Met Office explained.
This is more accurate image of what you could see (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
“That is why you see pictures as far south as Cornwall sometimes though you’re unlikely to see it with the naked eye that far south.”
So there you have it, your best shot at seeing the Northern Lights is through your mobile phone camera, which at this point you may as well just stick to looking at pictures on Google.
Featured Image Credit: (Getty Stock Images)
