This winter will be historic for seeing the northern lights, with scientists predicting the best views of the aurora borealis in 20 years.
Earlier this month, Aurora hunters were welcomed with Bonfire Night displays in Scotland and England; Sightings have also been reported as far south as Stonehenge in Wiltshire and in parts of Wales.
Astrophysicist Dr D., who works as part of the AuroraWatch UK team at Lancaster University. “This occurred due to a solar storm that caused a geomagnetic storm that brought some of the brightest and most unusual shapes and moved the aurora oval further south,” Maria Walach said. she told The Telegraph.
According to experts, the activity looks set to continue in the coming weeks. social media Follow a series of solar storms currently moving through Earth’s atmosphere. The sun is expected to reach its “solar maximum,” or the peak of its activity cycle, between January and October 2024.
Despite their elusive nature, there are some places in the UK where you can watch colorful displays every year in autumn and winter. Britain is home to seven International Dark Sky Reserves that provide uninterrupted viewing. Here, we take a look at what causes this phenomenon and where and when you can enjoy this magnificence.
What are the Northern Lights?
An illuminated display that can shine many colors in varying patterns, including red, blue, yellow, green and orange.
They consist of fast-moving, electrically charged particles emitted from both the sun and the Earth’s atmosphere. When these particles collide, they light up. These charged particles are blown by a ‘solar wind’ towards a region of the Earth’s atmosphere known as the magnetosphere, which is also full of charged particles.
The Earth’s magnetic field pushes particles towards the planet’s poles, and the color variation is created by gases in our atmosphere. In the northern hemisphere they are called aurora borealis and form an oval-shaped halo.
The lights in the southern hemisphere are called aurora australis. Scientists have found that in most cases, the northern and southern counterparts are mirror images that appear simultaneously with similar shapes and colors.
Neal Brown, a former NASA scientist, told Telegraph Travel that the incident occurred about 60 miles above the Earth’s surface. “These are solar storms that take about two days to reach Earth and interact with Earth’s magnetic fields and atmosphere. “The solar storm is directed along magnetic field lines to produce an electrical discharge that strikes atoms and molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, sort of like a neon sign.”
Where will you see these most in the UK?
Scotland offers the best chance. Northern Scotland lies at the same latitude as Nunivak Island in Alaska and Stavanger in Norway, two of the best spots in the world to see the Northern Lights. The most isolated areas, such as highlands or remote islands, offer the best conditions.
Dark Sky Reserves or similar locations free of light pollution are best. In Scotland, these include Galloway Forest Park, which the International Dark Sky Association named the UK’s first Dark Sky Park in 2009 (it was the fourth in the world). There are 300 square miles of forest and very few people living in its hills, so the nights are really dark. It’s a 90-minute drive from Glasgow and can be reached fairly easily from central Scotland and the north of England. There are bus and rail links to the nearest town, Ayr. The train journey between Glasgow Central and Ayr takes approximately one hour.
The skies over Tomintoul and Glenlivet in Moray have given the area the title of Scotland’s second International Dark Sky Park and the world’s northernmost park. There is also a Dark Sky Island in Scotland, the Isle of Coll.
There is also a Dark Sky Town in the village of Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway. Elsewhere try Kintyre, Lochaber in the west Highlands, Assynt in the north-west Highlands or the Isle of Skye.
Where else can I see them?
There are areas in the UK where light pollution is lower. If conditions are such that the Northern Lights can be seen across the country, head to one of these. Dark sky reserves and Dark Sky Parks in the UK include:
There are also a number of Dark Sky Discovery sites, including:
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Kielder Forest Observatory, Northumberland
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Wimbleball Lake, Exmoor, Somerset
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WaterWorks Nature Reserve, Lee Valley Regional Park, Essex
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Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Hampshire
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Mountain Centre, Libanus, Wales
These areas are away from the worst light pollution, offer good sightlines of the sky and have good public access.
Landscapes in southern England are rarer, but can still be stunning. Aurora hunters have photographed displays in places such as Cornwall, South Wales, Essex and Jersey.
When can I see them?
Nights are very bright throughout the summer in the UK, so your best chance is between 10pm and 2am, from September to April. The darker the sky, the better; hence winter is ideal for clear views. However, autumn and spring can also be good viewing periods.
How can I find out when the lights may appear?
AuroraWatch UK, run by the Department of Physics at Lancaster University, offers up-to-date information on this subject.
Am I really seeing the Northern Lights?
Light from the moon or the rising sun reflecting through clouds can be confused with the lights. AuroraWatchUK offers these tips: “Light reflected from clouds is usually orange, as it is the color of most street lights. A better guide is that if you can see stars in one area of the sky, then you are not looking at a cloud. “In very rare cases, it may be possible to see extremely bright auroras through thin clouds.”
How can I prepare?
Off the Map Travel, a tour operator offering adventurous aurora hunting trips, offers the following recommendations:
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Prepare yourself properly with well-insulated and waterproof clothing. Standing outside for long periods of time in the middle of the night is not without risks, and you need to avoid the dangers of hypothermia.
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Use a red lantern to find your way; The bright lights from standard flashlights will prevent you from making the most of the lights when they appear.
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Buy a camera. But don’t spend all your time behind your camera; just enjoy seeing it with the naked eye.
For more inspiration, read our guide to planning the best holiday to see the Northern Lights.