PARTS of the UK caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights last night as a powerful solar storm is expected to reach Earth TODAY.
This is thanks to a Coronal Mass Ejection, a massive burst of material from the sun which can cause a phenomenon known as a geomagnetic storm, which interferes with the Earth’s magnetic field.
According to the US Space Weather Prediction Centre, the event could result in power grid fluctuations as well as “orientation irregularities” for spacecraft. Aurora may be visible as low as New York, to Wisconsin and Washington state.
The UK Met Office has said there is a slight chance of moderate class flares above it’s skies too, although cloud is likely to block the view for some.
“Aurora is possible through 11th and 12th across much of Scotland, although cloud amounts are increasing, meaning sightings are unlikely for most,” the Met Office said.
“There is a slight chance of aurora reaching the far north of England and Northern Ireland tonight, but cloud breaks and therefore sightings are more likely in Northern Ireland.”
In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has put the storm at category G2, which the agency defines as moderate in strength.
Read our Northern Lights/Solar Storm live blog for the latest updates…
-
Find out more about science with The Sun
Want to know more about the weird and wonderful world of science?
From the Moon to the human body, we have you covered…
-
UK Met Office: Event should only cause moderate storms
The UK Met Office says the event should only cause “minor to moderate geomagnetic storms”.
It said: “Minor storms may continue into 12 October, before a fast wind from a coronal hole may arrive, perhaps continuing the rather active period of geomagnetic activity.
“Aurora is possible through 11th across much of Scotland, although cloud amounts are increasing, meaning sightings are unlikely.
“There is a slight chance of aurora reaching the far north of England and Northern Ireland tonight, but cloud breaks and therefore sightings are more likely in Northern Ireland.”
-
US on ‘moderate storm watch’ today
In an update yesterday, the Space Weather Prediction Centre said the moderate geomagnetic storm watch continues for today (October 12, 2021).
The experts added: “Aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise. The aurora is not visible during daylight hours, [it] does not need to be directly overhead but can be observed from as much as a 1,000km away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right.
“The aurora is an indicator of the current geomagnetic storm conditions and provides situational awareness for a number of technologies. [It] directly impacts high frequency radio communication and GPS/GNSS satellite navigation.
“It is closely related to the ground induce currents that impact electric power transition.
“For many people, the aurora is a beautiful nighttime phenomenon that is worth travelling to Arctic regions just to observe. It is the only way for most people to actually experience space weather.”
-
Quebec once lost power for nine hours due to solar flare
Solar flares can affect communication by disrupting radio signals.
In 1989, a strong solar eruption shot so many electrically charged particles at Earth that the Canadian Province of Quebec lost power for nine hours.
As well as causing issues for our tech on Earth, they can be deadly for an astronaut if they result in injury or interfere with mission control communications.
The Earth’s magnetic field helps to protect us from the more extreme consequences of solar flares.
-
Solar storm last caused UK disruption 150 years ago
Forecaster Tom Kerss says the solar storm “probably has pockets of enhanced energy in it so it could spike in performance every so often.
He said: “And that means that it’s quite possible that auroras will actually reach down into the north of England and maybe as far south as somewhere like Belfast or Omagh – not terribly far south. But they might just become visible over the sea from anybody that has a north-facing view across the north of England.”
He added that the chance of disruption to the UK is low due to space weather forecasting and electrical engineering.
“We wouldn’t expect to lose power or have any transformers explode or anything with a storm of this magnitude.
“But it is possible for solar super storms like one that occurred about 150 years ago to cause widespread disruption – we’re just sort of lucky it hasn’t happened yet.”
-
Aurora ‘likely to cover Scotland tonight’ – Met Office
The Met Office said that the Aurora was “likely to occur over much of Scotland and perhaps extend into northern England and Northern Ireland tonight.
A spokesman said: “For many in these areas it will be too cloudy but there are some spots in with a chance.”
The agency added: “Aurora is possible through 11th and 12th across much of Scotland, although cloud amounts are increasing, meaning sightings are unlikely for most.”
-
Expert urges Brits to look despite poor weather conditions
Tom Kerss, astronomer and author of Northern Lights: The definitive guide to Auroras, urged people to still have a look despite the heavy cloud forecast.
He said: “Unfortunately I think cloud cover is going to be a bit of an issue for Scotland but it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have a go if you have any clear patches at all.”
-
Brits witness skies lit up by Northern Lights
Julie Calderwood Fitzsimmons said from Orkney that she had been “Aurora watching for a few hours now and all we can see is a green glow at the other side of the clouds. Our watch continues!”
Meanwhile Birmingham resident Daniel Tonks shared some dazzling photos of the Northern Lights from Iceland.
Dr Beth Keith said she “drove the kids out to the peaks to stare at a very cloudy sky” before heading back to Sheffield, where the only Northern Lights “we’re seeing tonight” were blanked out by the dark, cloud-filled sky.
-
Scottish teacher shares photos of night sky
From Kirkwall in Scotland, a primary school teacher who works in Orkney shared four photos of the night sky.
Miss H Pinner tweeted that there was a “definite Aurora glow” while she was searching for the Northern Lights above her house.
She tweeted: “Not the best but taken using my phone & with hands that aren’t the steadiest without it being cold!
“But there was definite #Aurora glow #NorthernLights not bad for 10 minute walk from the house!”
-
Solar event could result in US ‘power grid fluctuations’
According to the US Space Weather Prediction Centre, the solar event could result in power grid fluctuations as well as “orientation irregularities” for spacecraft.
It happens when a massive burst of material from the sun causes a phenomenon known as a geomagnetic storm, which interferes with the Earth’s magnetic field.
The solar storm is caused by a type of solar flare called a coronal mass ejection – a huge expulsion of plasma from the Sun’s outer layer, called the corona.
-
Northern Lights brought stunning night time display to Brits
BRITS have spotted the Northern Lights as geomagnetic storms brought a stunning night time display.
Eyes were cast upwards to glowing skies above parts of England’s north, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
However for other areas, cloud is likely to block the green hue of auroras sparked by the huge solar storm.
Read more here.
