Northern lights visible over UK: How to see Aurora Borealis tonight

Increase in solar winds should trigger spectacular display

(Getty Images)

The spectacular glow of the Northern Lights could brighten Britain’s skies early on Thursday morning.

An increase in solar winds means people in northern parts of Scotland and the Northern Isles should be able to see the show shortly after midnight on 26 October.

Although clear skies are predicted for parts of Scotland, the Met Office recommends checking local weather forecasts before going out to watch the lights.

Aurora Forecast, an organisation that tracks the likelihood of a show, said: “Aurora borealis activity is currently high. Weather permitting, very nice northern lights displays would be visible directly overhead in most northern communities.”

To maximise your chances of seeing the show, head away from areas of artificial light and into the countryside.

In Scotland, the best places to glimpse the aurora include the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, the Cairngorms and the Isle of Skye.

Particularly spectacular displays can even be seen from England. People south of the border are advised to take a camera and head to the Lake District and Northumberland, according to SkyScanner.

Scientists believe the Aurora Borealis is the result of charged particles from the Sun being carried on solar winds and hitting the Earth’s magnetic field.

This triggers bright, colourful lights when the particles collide with different types of gas particles.

But one physicist says that theory is wrong. Far from being produced by solar particles, it is the “snapping and moving” of Earth’s magnetic field that released the huge amount of energy needed for the display.