Northern Lights tonight: what are they, UK forecast and best time and place to see the Aurora Borealis in 2021

The Northern Lights have been visible this week across the UK.

The night’s sky has been lit up with vivid greens and reds and those lucky enough to see the stunning spectacle took to social media to share their pictures.

Here’s how the natural light show occurs, when it will be visible next in the UK and at what time you will be able to get the best pictures of the Aurora Borealis...

What are the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights are visible in the night’s sky above Earth but are actually a result of solar activity or storms from the Sun’s atmosphere.

Those electrically charged particles from the Sun collide with the gaseous particles of the Earth’s atmosphere to create lots of different colours and shapes.

The Northern Lights can appear in multiple shades of green, red, yellow, blue and violet and can take on different shapes from scattered clouds to rippling curtain effects.

Otherwise known as the Aurora, the lights are commonly seen above the north and south poles.

The lights are referred to as the Aurora Borealis in the northern hemisphere and the Aurora Australis in the southern hemisphere and can provide a breathtaking view.

UK forecast for Northern Lights tonight

The Northern Lights can sometimes be seen from the northern reaches of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Auroral activity has been visible across the skies this week and will continue tonight (Friday 5 November 2021) in select locations in northern Scotland, weather permitting.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) forecast shows there will be strong Aurora activity displayed overhead in Norway and Sweden and weaker activity in the northern tips of Scotland.

Many people reported sightings of the Northern Lights this week, with stargazers further south witnessing them due to the size of the geomagnetic storm powered by the solar release from the Sun’s atmosphere.

What is the best time to see the Northern Lights tonight?

The Northern Lights are most visible when it is dark.

Now that the clocks have gone back, it is getting dark a little bit earlier meaning the Northern Lights can be seen anytime from when the Sun goes down.

Statistically, though, the Northern Lights are most likely to be visible after 10pm and before midnight, according to AuroraWatchUK.

Where have the Northern Lights been visible?

Typically, the Northern Lights are visible from places closest to the north pole.

Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Canada, Lapland and Greenland are among the places where the Northern Lights can be seen regularly.

That’s not to say the Northern Lights can be seen from further away, with reports this week of stargazers in the south of England seeing the lights.

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