Can the Northern Lights be seen from anywhere in the UK? Also can they be predicted to the point that I could go to where-ever on a certain evening or night and see them?
2006-12-30 03:01:22 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Yes, the Nothern Lights can be seen in Shetland, where I live. We are part of the British Isles, 180 miles north of Aberdeen and on the 60 degree North line. I was standing in my garden watching them about 2 weeks ago! We normally see them every winter.
As for predicting them, well it's definitely the dark winter months of November-February. Visibility is very linked with the local weather conditions, which as you know, are hard to know in advance. The best nights for it are when the weather is clear, settled and cold, often when it's a really hard frost. That way there are no clouds to obscure the view. Having many areas without street-lights really helps!
It is an awe-inspiring, beautiful sight to see. They can vary in colour, from white to red, green or blue. The can appear like floodlights moving fairly quickly across the sky, or dancing, floating billows that shift and change. If you stand for a while you can sometimes see them grow and diminish. One year we used to lie on the bonnet of the car with our duvets just watching them and thinking how absolutely awesome our beautiful planet is.
2006-12-30 04:45:28 · answer #1 · answered by TheMightyAtom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The aurora wouldn't normally be that predictable or visible from the UK...but, occasionally they'll be visible from there during a time of unusually strong electromagnetic activity from the sun. I saw an incredible display here in Pennsylvania about 3 years ago.
If you want to see them where it's more predictable, then go to either Northern Scandinavia or Alaska. January's a good month in the higher latitudes.
2006-12-30 03:05:01 · answer #2 · answered by bradxschuman 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Difficult to predict when it will occur, and precisely where it will occur, since it depends on the Earth's magnetic field and Solar wind[a steam of charged particles from Sun]. These usually occur near North Pole in the Northern Hemisphere. So can not give you a definitive answer.
2006-12-30 03:36:01 · answer #3 · answered by openpsychy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes, when strong activity is observed on the Sun, we can predict higher probabilities of aurorae on Earth.
See the link (1) below and look for geomagnetic storms (usually in the bottom left area of the page). If there is a prediction of major aurora, there will be a note on the main page.
PS: They presently have a gallery of aurora pictures and an opportunity to "sign up for aurora alerts". See (2)
2006-12-30 03:09:24 · answer #4 · answered by Raymond 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not anywhere in the UK, no! The aurora borealis most often occurs from September to October and from March to April but you will not be able to 'book a slot', it all depends on what the sun decides to do! When the sun decides to 'spit' out a 'few' charged particles then you may be lucky to see them collide with our atmosphere!
2006-12-30 03:07:03 · answer #5 · answered by scatz 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you go to the north of Scotland at times you can see the northern lights from there, my wife and her parents have seen them from there
2006-12-30 03:04:49 · answer #6 · answered by Peter H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Winter is the best time and the far North of the UK is the best. They can be predicted by astronomers.
2006-12-30 03:17:24 · answer #7 · answered by monkeymanelvis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I saw a program on the box not so long ago, and in it was a web site that you could visit that PREDICTED (not guaranteed) likely N.L. activity, but I am sorry I can't remember an more.
2006-12-30 03:10:06 · answer #8 · answered by ♣ My Brainhurts ♣ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
definite I truly have a pair of years in the past on the beginning up I nonetheless there grow to be some variety of hearth, I stood observing it grow to be unusual because it grow to be shifting around interior the sky far-off, like a wave interior the sea and that they've been an orange/purple coloration, i did no longer understand what it grow to be till i discussed appropriate to the lighting fixtures and that i grow to be then instructed what it grow to be, i might like to work out them lower back, they are astounding and definite somewhat ghostly. in simple terms had a seem on the photographs what I observed grow to be like photograph 6
2016-10-28 17:36:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live in south west scotland and have never seen them from here, my daughter lives in Aberdeen and sees them, especially this time of the year, she says they are beautiful, her discription is they look like a far away disco.
2006-12-30 03:05:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋