A red alert sends sky-watchers into excitement this evening as the Northern Lights may be visible from various parts of the UK. AuroraWatch UK has issued a statement announcing, “It is likely that aurora will be visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK”, following a notable reading at Sumburgh Head magnetometer, Shetland, Scotland.
Commonly observed over high polar regions, these beautiful light displays can venture south during geomagnetic storms prompted by solar activity. Such occurrences are part of the Sun’s approximately 11-year cycle, particularly during peak sunspot activity, also known as the solar maximum.
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These sunspots can result in considerable Earthward energy releases known as coronal mass ejections that amplify chances of seeing auroras, reports the Mirror. On impact with earth’s atmospheric gases near the magnetic poles, these charged particles create mesmerising light displays, with a spectrum of colours materialising across the night sky and is definitely worth seeing.