Hunt the aurora
If conditions are right, you can spot the aurora borealis – Northern Lights – in Scotland. Trail asked Steve Marple of Lancaster University’s AuroraWatch for three tips to increase your chances...
- 1 Head north “In the UK, the chance of seeing the aurora increases the further north you go. In the past, we’ve had positive reports from Skye, the Outer Hebrides and Shetland.”
- Watch the weather “Wherever you are, you’ll need a good view to the north. The need for dark skies means you’re limited to winter, as the summer sky’s never dark enough. Light pollution will mean you might not be able to see weak auroras.”
- Know what you’re looking for “Inexperienced observers frequently mistake light reflecting from clouds for the aurora. But remember, if you can see stars in a region of sky then you are not looking at cloud.”
For more info check out the AuroraWatch website:
www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/iono/aurorawatch
