Over the weekend, people across London were dazzled by the Northern Lights. The Aurora Borealis lit up the sky with amazing colours caused by particles from the Sun’s interaction with the Earth’s magnetic field.
It was a hot topic of conversation over the weekend with those lucky enough to witness the amazing sight regaling of the pinks and greens they saw in our skies because of one of the strongest geomagnetic storms in years.
Last Friday (May 10) was the best chance to see the natural light show in London. However, there still may be a small chance today to catch the fabled lights tonight (Monday, May 13).
READ MORE: What the Northern Lights are and what causes them
To have the best chance of seeing the lights, there are a few steps that one should take. The best tips are:
- Look to the north: Try to figure out which way is north in advance as the Aurora Borealis is drawn towards the poles of the Earth. You may not be able to see the lights directly overhead, but if you look to the North you may see it on the horizon. To help, download a compass app on your phone in advance like this one on the Apple store or this one on the Google Play store.
- Find somewhere with a clear view: Try to find an area that has no skyscrapers or other tall buildings so that your view is not obscured. Maybe even travel to a quieter area on the outskirts of London if possible to find wide open spaces.
- Stay up as late: You want the sky to be as dark as possible so that you can see the lights. Staying up late helps this since the Auroras are most active in the late evening to early morning hours.
- Use your phone: You can just about see the lights with the naked eye, however cameras can see it better. They can adapt to the wavelengths more than the human eye meaning you’ll be able to appreciate the colours even more.
The chances of seeing the Northern Lights on Monday, May 13, are low as the geomagnetic storm warning was in place until 6am this morning. However, there is a small chance it may still be visible from some areas.
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