Northern Lights, or Northern Lights, will be seen as far south as Cornwall, England, on Sunday night and could be seen again on Monday night. Abigail Beale
Sky
February 27, 2023
Aurora Borealis as seen from Duke’s Pass in Trossachs, England on the night of February 26th. Reese McGuire/Alamy
The Northern Lights, or northern lights, were visible further south than usual on Sunday night, and even caught a glimpse of Cornwall in the South West of England. The display of these green and red flickering glows in the night sky created by particles from the sun is astonishing. But if you missed them on Sunday, don’t worry. We still have a chance to see them this week, especially on Monday.
What are Northern Lights?
They are produced by the solar wind, a stream of charged particles moving from the sun’s outer layer or corona. Bursts of the solar wind, called solar flares, crash into the Earth’s magnetic field and act like shields around the Earth that deflect most particles. However, at the weakest points around the poles, some penetrate into the upper atmosphere where they collide with gas molecules to give them excitation or energy. When these molecules lose energy again, they emit photons that create the auroras.
The type of molecules excited and the altitude of the collision determine the color of the aurora. The most common are pale yellows and greens from oxygen molecules about 120 to 180 kilometers up. Purple-red auroras originate from oxygen around 200 km above the ground, and purple-red auroras from nitrogen below 100 km.
When is the best time to see the Northern Lights?
If the solar wind is active, you can see the Northern Lights as soon as it gets dark.
Where can I see the Northern Lights tonight?
The stronger the solar flare, the further south it appears. It takes about a day for the particles to reach Earth, so we can predict the intensity of the aurora up to a day in advance. The UK Met Office says the lights are likely to be visible again on Monday night, possibly even in central or southern England. For the rest of the week, keep an eye on forecasts such as those from the Japan Meteorological Agency and other aurora forecasting apps.
When should I look for lights?
There are websites and organizations that monitor the sun and can give forecasts for the next day or week.of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration siteFor example, it provides observations for the last 3 days and forecasts of solar activity for 30 minutes. This is measured using the planet’s K-index (Kp), on a scale of 0 to 9. Higher values indicate higher activity. A Kp value of 8 is normally required to see light with the naked eye in central England.free app aurora watch uk There’s also a 30-minute northern lights forecast, and you can set up email alerts to make sure the celestial light show is ready for you.
How can you see the Northern Lights?
Move to a dark location as far away from light pollution as possible. If you don’t know where to go, find a dark spot and look to the northern horizon. Then wait for your eyes to adjust. But don’t expect the stunning brightly colored northern lights shown in the pictures. To the naked eye, the Northern Lights are much more subtle and can be difficult to spot the first time you try them. You can see it through the display. Auroras can appear greenish-white to the eye, but can appear very green to the camera. If the sky is cloudy, you will not be able to see the aurora, so please pay attention to the weather forecast as well.
How to take exhibition photos
Most smartphone cameras can pick up the green hues of the Northern Lights. If you have a digital camera and a tripod, try a long exposure with a shutter speed set to a few seconds.
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