Northern Lights may be visible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of England tonight

After a solar flare that was seen heading towards Earth, the Northern Lights might be visible in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, North England, and Wales tonight.

According to the Met Office, a coronal Mass Ejection (CME), was seen leaving the Sun on November 2. It should reach Earth tonight or tomorrow. 

The Sun’s charged particles collide with Earth’s magnetosphere to create a geomagnetic storm, which can produce spectacular light shows.

These displays are typically restricted to high latitude regions around Antarctica and the Arctic.

These shows can also be visible at lower latitudes if the coronal mass ejections or solar flares are particularly strong.

This means that the Northern Lights could be seen in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and other northern parts of England, as long as there is no cloud in the sky. 

After a solar flare that was seen heading to Earth, the Northern Lights might be visible in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, North England, and Wales tonight.

According to the Met Office, a coronal Mass Ejection (CME), was seen leaving the Sun on November 2. It should reach Earth tonight or tomorrow.

According to the Met Office this CME will result in a moderate to minor event with a 20% chance that there will be periods of more activity. 

The Met Office tweeted that aurora could be visible in Scotland and Northern Ireland, possibly parts of Northern England or North Wales, if the conditions are right, and if the skies are clear.

People on the planet could be affected by a strong CME, which is more powerful than light shows from the south.

They are not likely to cause any harm to humans but could knock out satellites or cause power outages and communication problems. However, it is unlikely that this will have a significant enough impact to cause such an impact. 

It is what is known to be a Cannibal type CME. That is, it sweeps up any slower CMEs before it as it races towards Mother Earth.  

Combining them creates a mixture of strong magnetic field and plasma which then acts to generate geomagnetic storms when they hit air. 

This mashup will be at 23:00 GMT tonight. Any light shows are expected on November 4th and 5.

There has been an increase in the number of larger flares that can cause southernly aurora in recent weeks. The most recent being on Thursday, October 28. This storm is also known as Halloween storm.

Unfortunately, it was a poor display for British skygazers. 

According to astronomers the Sun has entered a more active phase in its 11-year cycle. This is responsible for the increase in solar activity.

Every 11 years, polarity of Sun’s magnetic field changes. As this happens, forces in our star become tangled and punch through surface. Plasma is sent into space as CMEs (cold methane explosions) and solar flares.

2020 was the year that the Sun entered the active phase in its cycle. This has already led to an increase in solar storms and flares reaching Earth. 

It will reach its peak in 2025, when the ESA Solar Orbiter will fly within 26,000,000 miles of our star. 

MailOnline was informed by the Met Office: “We are seeing a gradual uptake in solar activity, and associated space weather. 

“This is due to our moving away from the solar minimum (late 2019/early2020) and towards next solar maximum (expected mid-2025).

“Over the next few decades we can expect increasing solar activitiy, with a corresponding rise in space weather events affecting Earth’s near-Earth space environment.

A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots (areas that appear dark on the Sun’s surface). 

CMEs are caused by solar flares and solar flares are very different from CMEs. Both are types solar storms. 

NASA explains: “We typically see the solar flare by the photons or light it releases, at most any wavelength of the spectrum. 

X-rays, optical light and x-rays are the main ways to monitor flares. Flares are also places where particles (electrons and protons, as well as heavier particles) can be accelerated.

‘Flares are our solar system’s largest explosive events. They can be seen as bright areas on a sun’s surface and last for minutes to hours. 

The Northern Lights are officially called the aurora borealis in the north of the Earth, while the aurora australis is the name used for the southern part.  

Although the Northern Lights have fascinated Earthlings for centuries now, their science has not always been fully understood.    

Earth has an invisible forcefield, the magnetosphere, that protects us from dangerous charged particles from the Sun. 

The magnetosphere refers to the area around Earth that is controlled magnetically. 

Science expert Marty Jopson explains: ‘Whilst it shelters us, it also creates one of the most impressive phenomena on Earth – the Northern Lights.’ 

The Northern Lights seen over Vorkutaugol’s Zapolyarnaya-2 Mine in Vorkuta (northwestern Russia) in April 2021

Pictured: photographer Jeanine Holowatuik posted this shot of the Northern Lights seen earlier in October 2021 over Saskatchewan, Canada

‘When the dangerous solar winds meet Earth’s magnetosphere some of the charged particles get stuck and are propelled straight down the Earth’s magnetic fields lines towards the poles.

“And when they reach Earth they strike atoms, molecules in our atmosphere, releasing light energy.”    

Disruption to our magnetic field can also impact satellites in orbit, navigation systems, power grids, data and communication networks, and satellites in orbit.

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), “Harmful space weather has already affected Earth before, but as our dependence on systems and technologies susceptible to the Sun’s outbursts increases, future solar impacts could even be more disruptive,”  

WHAT TRIGGERS THE STUNNING NATURAL DIPLAYS AND WHAT AURORAS ARE?

The Northern and Southern Lights, also known as the “Auroras”, are natural light spectacles that are triggered by our atmosphere.

There are two types Aurora: Aurora Borealis which is a ‘dawn in the north’ and Aurora Australis which is a ‘dawn in the south’.

The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere. 

There are two types: Aurora Borealis (file pic), which is the ‘dawn from the north’; and Aurora Australis (dawn from the south). The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere

Usually the particles, sometimes referred to as a solar storm, are deflected by Earth’s magnetic field.

However, they can enter the atmosphere and collide into gas particles such as hydrogen and helium during stronger storms.

These collisions emit light. Although they are most common in pale green and pink, there are many colors that Auroral displays can be seen.