Northern Lights could be seen from as far as Cornwall again tonight
The Northern Lights could be seen across the UK
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Northern Lights have lit up the night skies across the UK, with hues of green and purple dancing across the skies as far as Cornwall.
People also reported seeing the display, called the aurora borealis, on Sunday night across Scotland, Merseyside and Wales.
According to the Met Office, the northern lights are usually best witnessed in Scotland, North England, North Wales and Northern Ireland.
However, under certain, space weather conditions, they can be seen throughout the UK.
The natural light display is caused by charged particles from the Sun interacting with Earth’s magnetic field.
The colour display depends in part on what molecules the charged particles interact with.
Red and green colours tend to be hallmarks of oxygen, pink and red the signs of nitrogen with blue and purple being the results of hydrogen and helium.
Dr Minjae Kim, research fellow, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, said: “During periods of heightened geomagnetic activity, the auroral ovals expand, allowing for sightings further south in the UK.
“While auroras are more commonly observed in northern regions like Scotland, seeing them in other parts of the UK, as seen last night in southern UK, is exceptionally rare.”
Late September to mid-March is generally considered the best period for aurora sightings.
Clear, cloud-free skies in dark locations with minimal light pollution, facing the northern horizon offer the best conditions for seeing the display.
Dr Kim said thar some of the best places for aurora viewing include: Brecon Beacons National Park, an international dark sky reserve in Wales; Exmoor National Park, an international dark sky reserve in England; Galloway Forest Park, an international dark sky park in Scotland; and Kerry international dark sky reserve in Ireland.
The prime viewing times are during the darkest hours usually from 11pm to midnight, but the lights are typically visible between 9pm and 2am.
Forecasting when the Northern Lights will be visible from the UK again is difficult but, according to the BGS Global geomagnetic activity forecast, no significant enhancements are expected.
Dr Kim said: “Geomagnetic activity is forecasted to remain relatively quiet for the remainder of this period.
“As a result, it might be challenging to observe the aurora.
“However, tonight (March 4-5) appears to be the most promising night for aurora viewing, albeit still not highly active.”
To see the Aurora conditions must be dark and clear, with as little light pollution as possible, and the Northern Lights are usually best seen in high latitude regions closer to the Arctic, such as Scandinavia.