Northern lights: Dates Met Office says aurora borealis could be visible in parts of Scotland this week
The northern lights could be visible in parts of Scotland this week.
The Met Office says the northern Lights could be visible in parts of Scotland this week.
The forecaster says that there may be a “weak enhancement to the auroral oval on the nights of 13 and 15 May, perhaps allowing sightings across northern Scotland.”
The aurora forecast for the Northern Hemisphere reads: “Auroral activity is expected to be mostly at background levels.
“During 13 May there have been some indications that there may have been a glancing blow from a CME or a weak connection to a coronal hole, though details are uncertain. There is the potential for the onset of coronal hole fast winds on the 15 May.
“These events may bring some weak enhancement to the auroral oval on the nights of 13 and 15 May, perhaps allowing sightings across northern Scotland and similar geomagnetic latitudes, where skies are clear.
Where exactly are the northern lights?
The northern lights form in an oval around the North Pole in an area called the “auroral zone".
Areas in the “auroral zone” include north Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the north of American state Alaska, and northern Siberia, in Russia.
What month is best to see the northern lights?
The best months to see the northern lights are September to late March, as these months have the longest dark hours and best viewing conditions.
Where in the UK can you see the northern lights?
The best places to see the northern lights in the UK are Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England. However, they have on occasion been spotted in the south of England.