Press/Media: Other
Keep your eyes and cameras on the skies tonight as you might be able to see the Northern Lights.
An amber alert has been posted by AuroraWatch UK saying that the lights are “likely to be visible by eye from Scotland Northern England and Northern Ireland”.
The Northern Lights, which are most commonly green, red and purple, are most often seen in far northern countries - including Finland, Sweden and Norway along with Iceland and Greenland, but during high activity are often visible from much lower latitudes, including the UK.
(Photo: Gavin Trafford)
Also known as the aurora borealis, the Northern Lights are millions of charged particles that have streamed away from the sun via solar winds at speeds of one million miles per hour.
Tonight’s possibility of seeing the Northern Lights depends on the level and persistence of geomagnetic activity and also the requirement of clear, dark skies away from light pollution.
So if you live near the lights of an Astroturf pitch or are trying to see the aurora stood next to a street lamp, you will mostly likely only see their reflection off the ground and up into the sky.
However photographers may want to grab their cameras, as AuroraWatch UK have posted that pictures of the dancing lights are likely from anywhere in the UK.
Note that by eye, an aurora may appear more white/grey but will show up as other colours on camera, due to the lack of sensitivity in the human eye and the exposure time of the camera.
To check out the activity of the aurora go to: http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk
Title | Northern Lights could be visible over Merseyside tonight |
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Media name/outlet | Online |
Primary Media type | Web |
Duration/Length/Size | Liverpool Echo |
Date | 23/04/17 |
Producer/Author | Kate McMullin |
Persons | Nathan Case |