Northern Lights illuminate the UK

[Terpe]

The Aurora Borealis - better known as the Northern Lights - has been giving rare and spectacular displays over parts of the UK, from the north of Scotland to as far south as Essex and Gloucestershire.

The lights have also been clearly visible in places such as Orkney, Norfolk and south Wales

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The display, which is caused by electrically charged particles from the Sun entering the Earth's atmosphere, led to scenes such as this one at the Stonehaven war memorial, Aberdeenshire

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Mark Thompson, presenter of the BBC's Stargazing Live, said he had not been expecting a display as spectacular as it was in places such as Wick, in Caithness

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Mr Thompson said the display, which was also seen in Corbridge, Northumberland, happens when solar wind - electrically charged particles - is ejected from the Sun. He said: "They take two or three days to get here and when they do get here they cause the gas atoms in the sky to glow. It is as simple as that

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The astronomer said: "Three or four days ago the Sun will have thrown a lot of this stuff out in an event called a coronal mass ejection, and they would have been travelling towards the Earth since. It all depends how active the Sun has been." This photograph was taken in Boulmer, Northumberland

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Mr Thompson said the particles were usually pulled towards the North Pole but if there were enough of them "they will travel further down towards the equator and cause the lights to go further south". Unusually, this time they were seen as far south as Gloucestershire

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"It is just good luck," Mr Thompson said. "The last time I have seen it this spectacular was probably 20 years ago." The lights were seen in many locations across the UK, including Shap in Cumbria[I]

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[I]Lucie Green, of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, said: "At the moment we are at the height of the Sun's activity cycle, and it's ultimately energy from the Sun that creates the Northern Lights." The lights were seen from many parts of the UK, including here at Bow Fiddle Rock in Portknockie, Moray

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Ms Green said: "When we were watching the Sun on 25 February we saw that a particularly large and fast eruption leapt off from the Sun's atmosphere, and the models predicted that we would probably get a glancing blow from this eruption, and they were right." This picture was taken at Embleton Bay in Northumberland.

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The Aurora Borealis was also visible from Foxley, Norfolk.

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Many people took photographs of the illuminated skies. This one shows St Mary's Island, Tyne and Wear


Source:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26378027

[Terpe]

Fabulous stuff :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[Arthur Little]

According to my daughter, some of her neighbours had mentioned spotting them in North East Aberdeenshire :biggrin: *whaur she bides. [*Doric lingo]

There's a well~known Scots' song called "The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen" penned in honour of this phenomenon after all, so ... :anerikke: ... it's hardly surprising, I suppose! :NoNo:

Alas, Fiona misssed the spectacle herself, last night. :bigcry: But, as she said on Facebook, she knew they were there. :smile:

[Terpe]

I wish I could have witnessed and photographed that phenomenon.
I've always been fascinated by the Aurora Borealis

[stevewool]

i shall be out tonight or very early morning just in case its there again, camera ready too

[Terpe]

i shall be out tonight or very early morning just in case its there again, camera ready too

Snap!!
Local weather say it will clear and temperatures will be below freezing ........... let's both hope for something very special......

[Jamesey]

Amazing pictures.

I ventured out last night to have a look, but nothing to see here in the South West.

[Terpe]

Amazing pictures.

I ventured out last night to have a look, but nothing to see here in the South West.

Nothing here in East Midlands either.
If it's clear tonight I'll try again :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[joebloggs]

Nothing here in East Midlands either.
If it's clear tonight I'll try again :xxgrinning--00xx3:

i doubt you will see anything No significant activity:NoNo:

http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/

we plan to take the kids to either Norway or Iceland to see the northern lights in the next couple of years :wink:

[Terpe]

i doubt you will see anything No significant activity:NoNo:

http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/

Oh dear.....never mind...at least I've bookmarked that very nice link..thanks for that Joe :xxgrinning--00xx3:


we plan to take the kids to either Norway or Iceland to see the northern lights in the next couple of years :wink:

During my travelling years I spent quite large chunks of time in the very North of Sweden
and Norway.....never managed to experience those Northern Lights :bigcry:

Hope your trips will prove much better. Is there any time in the year when the chances are increased?

[joebloggs]

signup for the email alerts Peter, you'll get an email for amber or red alerts and not miss the next one, which i hope will be sooner than later :biggrin:

my misses nickname on chikka when we first chatted near 15yrs ago was aurora borealis :biggrin:

so its one thing we both want to see.

The northern lights season starts every year in September and is until mid-April. There is no one particular month better than the other as it is impossible to predict when the northern lights decide to show up and put on a show. One of the most important factors is however the length of your stay as each day increases your chances of seeing the beautiful lights. We usually advice people to stay here for at least 7 days as the lights are often active for 2 – 3 days and then low for 4 – 5 days. - See more at: http://www.northernlightsiceland.com/the-best-time-to-see-the-northern-lights/#sthash.ZIQnI1B3.dpuf

[Terpe]

signup for the email alerts Peter, you'll get an email for amber or red alerts and not miss the next one, which i hope will be sooner than later :biggrin:

Ah OK....I'll do that :xxgrinning--00xx3:


my misses nickname on chikka when we first chatted near 15yrs ago was aurora borealis :biggrin:

so its one thing we both want to see.

That'll be one big romantic moment......here's hoping for that. :coeurtendre:

[joebloggs]

Ah OK....I'll do that :xxgrinning--00xx3:



That'll be one big romantic moment......here's hoping for that. :coeurtendre:


i signed up on the website about a month ago, but didn't get the email to activate my account :doh missed chance :bigcry:

:icon_lol: with 2 kids :cwm24: i doubt it