Press/Media: Other
kywatchers in the many parts of Scotland and Northumbria were excited to see the incredible light show in the night’s sky late on Wednesday into the early hours of yesterday.
That night the Aurora Watch UK project recorded 13 hours of elevated geomagnetic activity with five of those hours strong enough to trigger an amber alert level.
After another amber alert was issued briefly last night, here is a look at the latest alerts from Aurora Watch UK, which is run by Lancaster University.
The amber alert signals that people in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland may be able to see the Aurora Borealis if they look northwards.
The aurora watch status was green - meaning that there is no auroral activity and very little chance of seeing the Northern Lights - at noon today.
Earlier this morning, there was a yellow alert which meant that it might have been possible to catch a glimpse of the stunning lights in the north of Scotland.
The very rare red alert tells people anywhere in the UK that they might be able to see the Aurora, subject to light pollution and clouds in the sky.
Dr Nathan Case, an Aurora Watch UK team member, said the team issue the alerts based on changes in the Earth’s electromagnetic field.
Dr Case, who is a senior research associate at Lancaster University, said that they also update a graph showing alerts for the past 24 hours.
He said: “The higher the bar, the more activity we have recorded and the more likely [the Aurora] is going to be visible.”
Aurora Watch UK
This was the graph on the night of March 1 into March 2
Aurora Watch UK
These are the graphs for Thursday March 2
The Aurora is caused by charged particles that are blown out from the sun on the solar wind and interact with the Earth's magnetic field.
After entering the Earth's atmosphere, the charged solar particles collide with gas molecules such as oxygen and nitrogen and give off light.
After solar winds arrive at our planet, Dr Case said: “The charged particles run into Earth’s atmosphere and collide with molecules.
“When they collide, they transfer energy. The atmosphere does not like this extra energy which is why give off light.”
He said that oxygen emits the famous green colour and some red, while nitrogen gives off the blue and purply lights.
Aurora Watch UK
These are the alert levels for the Northern Lights in the UK
Chena Hot Springs, Alaska
To keep up to date with the latest Aurora forecasts you can sign up for alerts through the Aurora Watch website.
There are also regular updates on social media sites Twitter and Facebook.
| Period | 3/03/2017 |
|---|
kywatchers in the many parts of Scotland and Northumbria were excited to see the incredible light show in the night’s sky late on Wednesday into the early hours of yesterday.
That night the Aurora Watch UK project recorded 13 hours of elevated geomagnetic activity with five of those hours strong enough to trigger an amber alert level.
After another amber alert was issued briefly last night, here is a look at the latest alerts from Aurora Watch UK, which is run by Lancaster University.
The amber alert signals that people in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland may be able to see the Aurora Borealis if they look northwards.
The aurora watch status was green - meaning that there is no auroral activity and very little chance of seeing the Northern Lights - at noon today.
Earlier this morning, there was a yellow alert which meant that it might have been possible to catch a glimpse of the stunning lights in the north of Scotland.
The very rare red alert tells people anywhere in the UK that they might be able to see the Aurora, subject to light pollution and clouds in the sky.
Dr Nathan Case, an Aurora Watch UK team member, said the team issue the alerts based on changes in the Earth’s electromagnetic field.
Dr Case, who is a senior research associate at Lancaster University, said that they also update a graph showing alerts for the past 24 hours.
He said: “The higher the bar, the more activity we have recorded and the more likely [the Aurora] is going to be visible.”
Aurora Watch UK
This was the graph on the night of March 1 into March 2
Aurora Watch UK
These are the graphs for Thursday March 2
The Aurora is caused by charged particles that are blown out from the sun on the solar wind and interact with the Earth's magnetic field.
After entering the Earth's atmosphere, the charged solar particles collide with gas molecules such as oxygen and nitrogen and give off light.
After solar winds arrive at our planet, Dr Case said: “The charged particles run into Earth’s atmosphere and collide with molecules.
“When they collide, they transfer energy. The atmosphere does not like this extra energy which is why give off light.”
He said that oxygen emits the famous green colour and some red, while nitrogen gives off the blue and purply lights.
Aurora Watch UK
These are the alert levels for the Northern Lights in the UK
Chena Hot Springs, Alaska
To keep up to date with the latest Aurora forecasts you can sign up for alerts through the Aurora Watch website.
There are also regular updates on social media sites Twitter and Facebook.
| Title | Aurora forecast UK: Latest alerts, predictions, where YOU can see the Northern Lights |
|---|---|
| Duration/Length/Size | The Express |
| Date | 3/03/17 |
| Producer/Author | Alice Foster |
| Persons | Nathan Case |