The Northern Lights could be dancing across the skies this Friday due to a blast of solar wind, predicts the Met Office.
Those lamenting the end of summer may be cheered up by the prospect of aurora borealis season. The cosmic display is best seen from late September, and given Scotland's high latitude, there will be several chances to see them over the colder months.
One of the earliest opportunities comes this weekend. The Met Office's space weather forecast has predicted a greater chance to view the Northern Lights from September 30.
The service warned that views will be limited to higher latitudes, but people across Scotland are well situated to see the otherworldly spectacle.
"The auroral oval is now likely to be more limited towards higher latitudes as transient CME (coronal mass ejection) effects appear to have subsided," reports the Met Office.
"However, later on 30th the return of a fast stream of solar wind may increase geomagnetic activity to G1/G2 Minor to Moderate storm levels, bringing an increased chance of views of the aurora across Scotland."
The Northern Lights occur when fast winds that have erupted from the sun reach Earth. The ribbons of light are the result of the solar winds colliding with the planet's magnetic field.
It's been an exciting week for stargazers. NASA made history after crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid in a bid to bump the rock off its orbit. The mission was a first-ever planetary defence test that could be used to deflect hazardous objects in space.
Another historic sight occurred on Tuesday. The best views of Jupiter in 59 years were on offer when the planet made its closest approach since 1963. The occasion lent the perfect opportunity to see the Gas Giant and its four moons.
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