Brits lucky enough to have a cloudless sky this week may have caught a glimpse of the epic aerial dance of the northern lights. Also known as the aurora borealis, this spectacular natural light show is often most visible in Arctic regions near the north and south poles.
But in recent years, the northern lights have become more visible to those enjoying the sky from the British Isles.
This week, stargazers as far south as Sussex could capture a glimpse of the northern lights on Thursday night and even on Friday.
Meteorologists have already shared their tips for catching the best view of the northern lights from the UK this weekend.
It’s not the first time this year, either. Some Londoners were lucky enough to capture the spectacular light show across the night skies in spring.
Reports of the northern lights gracing UK skies appear to be growing year on year, and seeing this phenomenon so often is still pretty unusual.
So, what exactly is going on?
What are the northern lights?
To understand why we’re seeing the northern lights more often, we first need to have an idea of what causes this phenomenon.
The northern lights (and the southern lights) are spectacular light shows that are most visible close to the Earth’s north and south poles.
It’s caused when the solar wind emitted from the sun interacts with the Earth’s atmosphere while being diverted toward the planet’s magnetic poles.
The solar wind reacts with gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere, such as oxygen and nitrogen, to emit different-coloured lights in our skies.
The intensity of its colours and its location depend on varying factors, such as the Earth’s magnetic field and the sun’s activity.
Why are there more northern lights in the UK?
We’re experiencing a heightened period of solar storms, contributing to more frequent northern light activity.
According to the Royal Astronomical Society, the sun is having its most active period in an 11-year solar cycle this year, so there are more chances to see the northern lights.
The sun’s magnetic field is becoming stronger, emitting more energy through solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), which create the colourful reactions.
So, the northern lights are more frequently visible from the UK because this is the strongest solar storm period we’ve had in 11 years.
Professor Mike Lockwood, president of the Astronomical Society, also explained that many factors determine the location of the aurora borealis.
Having clear skies is one of them, while other things, like the orientation of our magnetic field, can impact the creation of the spectacular night sky phenomenon.
According to Lockwood, however, it’s not necessarily something we should get used to.
Reflecting on the light shows we saw in May, he explained such events “generally come around once a decade, so it’s brilliant that so many folks got the chance to see the wonder of the aurora”.
