Why you couldn’t see the Northern Lights no matter how hard you tried
Following Friday’s dazzling display of the Northern Lights across the UK, hopeful star gazers were left with sore necks last night after the lights failed to reach the same level as the night before.
A huge solar storm hit the Earth this weekend, with the enhanced solar activitysupercharging the Aurora Borealis.
Hopeful star gazers went to areas with low air and light pollution for a second night, but were left disappointed when the lights didn’t appear.
While geomagnetic activity stayed high throughout Saturday, the aurora which creates the spectacular light show was not above the UK when the sky was dark enough to see it.
Chris Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said there were sightings ‘from top to tail across the country’ on Friday.
He advised those hoping to see the lights again last night: ‘The best chance you have of seeing the lights is if you are away from street lights and areas with lots of light pollution, as any type of light does have a big effect.’
Crowds were seen gathering on Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill and other areas in London – but to no avail.
A severe geomagnetic storm watch was put out on Friday by the US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration yesterday – the first such warning since January 2005.
At that time, the highest dose of radiation in 50 years hit the earth.
A series of solar flares released large volumes of plasma on the sun, sparking the warning after they were spotted on Wednesday.
Social media was flooded with stunning images after many decided to stay up to witness it on Friday.
Bands of pink and green lights were visible Scotland, Wales and even in southern England after the ‘extreme’ geomagnetic storm.
Why do Northern Lights occur?
Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.
As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.
In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.
When activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area – which explains why displays can be occasionally seen as far south as the UK.
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