When the UK may see next Northern Lights as solar storms strengthen
The Northern Lights may return to the UK in the coming weeks after appearing across parts of London and southern England last weekend.
The Sun is approaching its “solar maximum” – the point at which it reaches its most active period in its 11-year cycle, experts have said, meaning enhanced solar activity is expected to generate explosions that could hit Earth’s magnetic field, creating Northern Lights visible in the UK once again.
The biggest geomagnetic storm since 2003 took place last weekend, giving rise to a G5 alert rating – the highest alert for solar storms issued by the Met Office and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
However, Krista Hammond a space weather expert at the Met Office, told the BBC that “in a couple of weeks’ time, that area will start to rotate back around to face the Earth again,” giving rise to visible Northern Lights.
“The sunspot region, which gave all the solar flares and the coronal mass ejections, is now rotated round to the other side of the sun which isn’t facing the Earth,” Ms Hammond said.
“But in a couple of weeks’ time, that area will start to rotate back around to face the Earth again.”
Northern Lights appearing in Whitley Bay, England on May 10 (Photo: Forsyth/Getty Images)
Northern Lights in Cornwall (Photo: Forsyth/Getty Images)
The Northern Lights were made visible last week by at least five coronal mass ejections, which are eruptions of magnetic fields and solar storms leaving the Sun.
After approximately 18 hours, when these reached Earth, they interacted with its magnetic field, creating a solar spectacle.
Ms Hammond said that “enormous sunspot” approximately 15 times the size of Earth appeared on the Earth-facing side of the Sun las weekend.
This hyperactive sunspot created “solar flares and coronal mass ejections which are enormous eruptions of charged particles.
The sunspot region which generated the solar flares and coronal mass ejections is now rotated round to the other side of the Sun, which is not facing Earth.
The stunning Aurora Borealis, which are usually only visible from northern areas in the British Isles, occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Skygazers were treated to the natural phenomena in Whitley Bay on the north east coast, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Wokingham in Berkshire (Photo: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Although most of these particles are deflected away, some enter Earth’s magnetic field, accelerating in the direction of the north and south poles.
This is why the Northern Lights are most commonly seen near the magnetic poles. However, solar storms are occasionally powerful enough to generate Northern Lights further away from the poles, making them visible from areas such as the UK.
If these storms are big enough and occur at night when skies are clear, the chances of them being visible from the UK increases, Ms Hammond said.
Since last Saturday, the Sun has continued generating increased radiation. A massive solar flare on Tuesday disrupted high-frequency radio communications across the world.
The Government’s national risk register rates extreme space weather as a “four” for likelihood and impact, with “one” being events with the lowest risk and “five” being the highest.
The register notes that extreme space storms may lead to deaths and injuries through power failures.
According to the register, “mobile back-up power generation would be required in some areas for a sustained period, while damaged electricity transformers are replaced, which could take several months.”