The Northern Lights are predicted to be visible in parts of the UK on New Year's Eve, offering a spectacular start to the year. The Met Office says clear skies are needed for the best viewing, and the Royal Observatory in Greenwich notes that the further north you are, the better the chances of seeing them.
The Northern Lights are set to dazzle this New Year's Eve, offering some lucky Brits a magical start to the New Year. According to the Met Office, those in Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England might be able to witness the stunning spectacle. However, whether you'll get a glimpse or not largely depends on tonight's weather, which has already threatened numerous New Year's events across the UK.
If the skies remain clear, you're in for a treat as these conditions are perfect for viewing the display - a result of solar flares colliding with Earth's magnetic field. The Royal Observatory in Greenwich states that the Northern Lights are more visible the further north you are, but due to increased solar activity recently, they've been spotted as far south as Cornwall. While solar storms can disrupt satellites, the Met Office assures it's unlikely that tonight's activity will cause communication issues. There's been an increase in solar storms as the Sun undergoes a period of heightened activity expected to continue into next year, The Express reports. Solar storms involve massive clouds of electrically charged particles being ejected from our nearest star. Royal Observatory Astronomer Tom Kerss spilled the beans to The Express saying, 'These particles then slam into atoms and molecules in the Earth's atmosphere and essentially heat them up. We call this physical process 'excitation', but it's very much like heating a gas and making it glow.', reports the Mirror. He explained further, 'What we are seeing therefore are atoms and molecules in our atmosphere colliding with particles from the Sun. The aurora's characteristic wavy patterns and 'curtains' of light are caused by the lines of force in the Earth's magnetic field.' Tom added: 'The lowest part of an aurora is typically around 80 miles above the Earth's surface. However, the top of a display may extend several thousand miles above the Eart
NORTHERN LIGHTS SOLAR STORMS AURORA WEATHER SPACE
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