The Northern Lights may be spotted in Britain this weekend – how and when to see them

The Northern Lights are forecast to be visible from Britain tomorrow evening as a small geomagnetic storm heads towards Earth.

The display was seen as far south as Cornwall, as was last weekend’s event.

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According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), geomagnetic activity will be active between March 8 and 10.

“Some isolated ACTIVE periods over the past 24 hours have been attributed to a glancing blow from the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) that lifted from the Sun on March 3,” the BGS wrote.

“Modelling suggests that most of the CME will likely miss Earth from March 5, but a glancing blow could yield improvements early on March 9.

“If the effects of this CME combine with the high-speed current, there is a chance that geomagnetic activity could increase to STORM G1.”

A STORM G1 is a small geomagnetic storm that can cause a weak disruption to the electricity grids.

Although Aurora Borealis – also known as the Northern Lights – is visible even during weak geomagnetic storms.

A geomagnetic storm is what happens in the Earth’s magnetosphere as a result of solar wind, or a CME.

How can I see the Northern Lights?

First, it helps to be in an area with little light pollution.

Rural areas are best for sky watching.

Aurora phenomena are most often observed further north, but stronger bursts can move south, as noted last night by those in Cornwall.

Sometimes aurora can look white to the human eye, so it can help to take a quick photo with your phone to make the colors more visible.

If you plan to photograph the aurora properly, you will need a DSLR or bridge camera and ideally a tripod.

Experts have also advised that hopeful watchers shouldn’t be too discouraged if the aurora initially looks dim.

This is because they usually brighten over the course of a few hours.

People should also remain vigilant as the display can change quickly.

But it is the unpredictability that ensures that the attraction is on the bucket list of many.

More displays are coming

It is expected that there will be a large increase in the number of Northern Lights sightings from this year until 2025.

This is because we are entering the Sun’s solar maximum – when solar activity peaks during the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle.

During this time the sun produces ‘dramatically more’ aurora displays, explains Darren Baskill, lecturer in physics and astronomy at the University of Sussex.

The next peak was predicted for July 2025.

However, the Solar Maximum will arrive sooner than expected, according to NASA scientist Robert Leamon and Scott McIntosh, deputy director of the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

They say the peak of the cycle will occur a year earlier, in mid-to-late 2024.

This means the best time of the decade to check the Northern Lights off your bucket list is just around the corner.

Sunspots – which produce solar flares that produce Northern Lights – will become twice as likely during solar maximum, which lasts between three and five years.

During that time, the displays will appear more vibrant with red, pink and purple hues typically rarer than the green waves.

Sunspots, the black areas on the Sun’s surface, are particularly active areas that can ‘burp’ the solar wind towards Earth.

When these streams of highly charged particles collide with Earth’s magnetic field, they cause the upper atmosphere to glow.

This heightened era of activity is why humans are blessed with such an epic spectacle.

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