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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Mya Bollan

How to see Northern Lights in Edinburgh tonight - time and tips to spot aurora borealis

People across Edinburgh were left amazed after the Northern Lights lit up the sky on Sunday night.

But if you failed to catch a glimpse do not worry, as the Aurora Borealis will likely be visible in the skies above the capital again on Monday evening. According to the Met Office, the vivid light show will be visible across many parts of Scotland for a second night, with meteorological experts taking to Twitter to say "there's another chance to see the #Aurora tonight."

On Sunday night, people across the capital stared out their windows and took to the street in their pjs to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon as colours of green, blue and pink illuminated the sky.

READ MORE: Edinburgh residents spot Northern Lights as spectacular illuminates capital sky

And it may be much of the same this evening, with the Met Office aurora forecast suggesting that many parks of the UK could see another light show.

"There is a similar expectation for later on 27 Feb as another coronal mass ejection arrives and there is a chance of conditions strengthening to G3/Strong geomagnetic storm levels. Aurora is once again possible to similar latitudes, perhaps as far south as central or southern England should any larger storm periods occur." The forecast states.

Caused by solar storms on the surface of the sun, the lights are created by electrically charged particles. The particles can travel for millions of miles, with some colliding with earth, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.

Most particles are deflected away but some are captured by the magnetic field surrounding Earth before being accelerated down towards the north and south poles.

But how can you spot the spectacular in the skies this evening? Here is everything you need to know.

When will the Northern Lights be visible in Edinburgh sky?

To get the best view of the Northern Lights, the sky must be dark and clear.

According to the Met Office, the sun will set in Edinburgh at 5.42pm this evening, so keep an eye on the sky when darkness arrives.

A clear sky is important for getting the best view. Forecasters expect this evening to be relatively cloudy in the capital. However, there is a chance of some clear spells later in the evenings so it is worth keeping an eye out for the bright lights.

How to spot the Northern Lights

While there is a chance that the people of Edinburgh are in for another Northern Lights sighting this evening, there is no guarantee.

Cloudy conditions can lessen the chances of spotting the spectacular, with light pollution also making it difficult to get a clear view.

The perfect conditions for spotting the Aurora Borealis, according to Royal Museums Greenwich, are "dark and clear nights" with little light pollution.

Street lights as well as lights from homes, businesses and vehicles in the busy areas across the capital can make it harder for the aurora to be visible, especially to the naked eye.

So, to get a better view you may want to head outside the city or station on higher grounds to catch a glimpse.

How to know when the Northern Lights may be visible in the future

AuroraWatchUK, run by the Department of Physics at Lancaster University, provides a real-time status tool, was on red alert on Sunday evening, with people across the capital able to set up alerts to make sure they never miss a chance to catch the light show.

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