Northern Lights: How to see them in the UK tonight

Tom Watling
·3 min read
The aurora borealis over St Aidan’s church in Thockrington, Northumberland (PA)
The aurora borealis over St Aidan’s church in Thockrington, Northumberland (PA)

Britons have a “good chance” of seeing the Northern Lights for a second night in a row after mesmerising images showed the bands of pink, purple and green light in the sky across the UK on Friday night.

Also known as aurora borealis, the lights were the result of an extreme geomagnetic storm that caused them to be more visible, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Met Office reported that Friday hosted the highest geomagnetic recording in the UK since 2003. The result, they said, was some “very vivid Aurora sightings”.

Images showed bands of red, purple and lime green illuminating the sky above Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh.

Further south, over St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay on the northeast coast of England, locals flocked to the beaches to glimpse the spectacular lights there.

The northern lights in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh (PA)
The northern lights in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh (PA)
The aurora borealis seen at Crosby Beach (PA)
The aurora borealis seen at Crosby Beach (PA)
People gather at Crosby Beach to look at the Northern Lights (EPA)
People gather at Crosby Beach to look at the Northern Lights (EPA)

And in Liverpool, the lights could be seen behind Anthony Gormley’s Another Place statue.

The lights were also seen across Europe and North America. Images showed flashes of purple and pink over Lake Balaton near Fonyod, Hungary.

Some 6,000 miles away, campers north of San Francisco in California also enjoyed the brightly-coloured display.

The Met Office said there was a strong chance of seeing the Northern Lights again on Saturday night, particularly in the northern areas of the UK.

But they added that long-exposure cameras could improve the chances of seeing the lights further south, where the lights look set to be less visible.

Met Office space weather manager Krista Hammond said: “Multiple coronal mass ejections from the Sun are expected to reach Earth in the coming days bringing the potential for aurora visibility over the UK.

“Aurora visibility may persist through Saturday night, but as it stands this is likely to be less widespread than on Friday night with northern parts of the UK most likely to continue to have the best viewing potential.”

The Northern Lights illuminate the night sky over Lake Balaton near Fonyod, Hungary (EPA)
The Northern Lights illuminate the night sky over Lake Balaton near Fonyod, Hungary (EPA)
Northern lights seen in Middletown, California (AFP/Getty)
Northern lights seen in Middletown, California (AFP/Getty)

Viewers will need to wait until at least 10.30pm to get glimpse the spectacle. The clearer the skies, the easier they will be to see.

At this time of year, when nights are shorter, the night is darkest between 11.30pm into the early hours of the morning.

The Met Office added that it expects different colours in different places at different times as the geomagnetic activity ebbs and flows.

Paul Norris, 47, from Allerton Bywater in West Yorkshire, said seeing the lights was “not what we’d expect on the outskirts of Leeds”.

He added: “My wife Emma and I woke our eldest daughter Phoebe (12) up to see them. It could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it’s certainly the first time I’ve seen them. We spent about an hour watching them move across the sky.”

In Thorngumbald, East Yorkshire, Sarah Sharpe said spotting the lights was a “dream come true”.

She said: “It was truly spectacular, probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I’ve waited to see the Northern Lights for a very long time. A dream come true to see such a fantastic display.”