Aurora Borealis. Photograph by Janek Pärn
People from as far south as the M4 corridor reported sightings of the Aurora Borealis last night, but clearer skies this evening mean there may be an even better chance of Britons seeing nature’s light show tonight.
The waves of shimmering colour appear in the night sky as energetic charged particles expelled from the sun collide with atoms in the earth’s high altitude atmosphere.
The Aurora Borealis can only normally be seen from the Arctic and Antarctic regions, with viewing a popular reason for tourism to the areas.
However, an eruption from the sun a couple of days ago caused an unusually large cloud of electrically-charged particles to be ejected towards the earth triggering a geomagnetic storm which increases the chances of seeing the lights down in southern England.
Last night a cloudy sky prevented many in the UK from seeing the lights, but a clearer sky tonight should mean that more people in the UK will be able to see one of the seven wonders of the natural world.
According to SpaceWeather.com:
“More auroras are possible on Jan. 10th as Earth passes through the magnetic wake of the CME. NOAA forecasters estimate a 85% chance of polar geomagnetic storms before the day is over.”
