Northern Lights..???
27 June 2005, 08:26 AM
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Northern Lights..???
Where abouts in the Uk is it best to see the northern lights?(i dont mean Blackpool BTW)!!!!
And what time of year is best??
Cheers
And what time of year is best??
Cheers
Last edited by fatscoobyfella; 27 June 2005 at 08:29 AM. Reason: Coz im thick
27 June 2005, 09:22 AM
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Further north the better. There's no guarantee that you'll see it on any given day from the UK though, as it depends on solar activity.
In caser you're interested, the annual spectacular that is the Perseid meteor shower will be along on 11th - 12th August.
In caser you're interested, the annual spectacular that is the Perseid meteor shower will be along on 11th - 12th August.
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27 June 2005, 10:27 AM
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You can, at times, see the northern lights from anywhere in the UK and if there is a chance of them appearing then I often post an "alert" here.
While getting further north will improve your chances it is far from necessary to go to Alaska and, apart from anything else, the south of Alaska is not so very much further north than the north of the UK. The last decent display we had (which hit the UK during daylight about 4 weeks ago so we saw nothing) was seen as far south as Arizona and I believe there were photos from Florida with palm trees with the lights behind them!
Probably more important than getting extremely far north is getting totally dark skies. The northern lights are not like something from a Disney movie and so can be quite subtle. Sometimes they are not the coloured stuff you see in photos but subtle "rays" which look like rays of sunlight reaching across the night sky. It takes a very, very strong display before you can see them from urban locations, though it does happen, most recently on 21st January this year.
With this in mind it is probably best to make dark skies your priority with getting north a secondary thing. In saying that the remote parts of the north of Scotland are hard to beat.
Because of the magnetic field of the earth the lights are usually best around the equinox rather than the solstice so September, October and November and then February, March and April should give the best chance. However, they can happen at any time but in terms of statistical probability this rule holds. If I had to bet then I would go for November but there is no scientific basis to that, it's just a personal thing.
They are caused by what happens on the sun which has a cycle of about 11 years and, unfortunately for you, we are currently at a minimum in that cycle and so are having northern lights very infrequently. This does not mean that you have zero chance but it must be said that your chances are much reduced. It doesn't matter if you are in Alaska or Cornwall, if there is nothing happening on the sun there will be nothing to see. Chances for the next week are currently next to zero but there is a big sunspot on the far side of the sun which might point at us in about a week and which might give us a display, you just can't say, however with so many hours of daylight at present we would be lucky to see it. Our other problem is weather, we have had several big hits this year that were totally obscured by cloud.
In view of how unreliable the lights and the weather is my advice would be to find somewhere close to home with totally dark skies. When the lights hit then drive there and take in the view and eventually the conditions will come good for you. Remember though that the sun is at a minimum at present and it will be about 5 years before we would be expecting regular big displays. If you book a week in Alaska or Scotland with the express purpose of seeing lights then you might get lucky, but chances are you will be disappointed just beause there are so many factors involved.
While getting further north will improve your chances it is far from necessary to go to Alaska and, apart from anything else, the south of Alaska is not so very much further north than the north of the UK. The last decent display we had (which hit the UK during daylight about 4 weeks ago so we saw nothing) was seen as far south as Arizona and I believe there were photos from Florida with palm trees with the lights behind them!
Probably more important than getting extremely far north is getting totally dark skies. The northern lights are not like something from a Disney movie and so can be quite subtle. Sometimes they are not the coloured stuff you see in photos but subtle "rays" which look like rays of sunlight reaching across the night sky. It takes a very, very strong display before you can see them from urban locations, though it does happen, most recently on 21st January this year.
With this in mind it is probably best to make dark skies your priority with getting north a secondary thing. In saying that the remote parts of the north of Scotland are hard to beat.
Because of the magnetic field of the earth the lights are usually best around the equinox rather than the solstice so September, October and November and then February, March and April should give the best chance. However, they can happen at any time but in terms of statistical probability this rule holds. If I had to bet then I would go for November but there is no scientific basis to that, it's just a personal thing.
They are caused by what happens on the sun which has a cycle of about 11 years and, unfortunately for you, we are currently at a minimum in that cycle and so are having northern lights very infrequently. This does not mean that you have zero chance but it must be said that your chances are much reduced. It doesn't matter if you are in Alaska or Cornwall, if there is nothing happening on the sun there will be nothing to see. Chances for the next week are currently next to zero but there is a big sunspot on the far side of the sun which might point at us in about a week and which might give us a display, you just can't say, however with so many hours of daylight at present we would be lucky to see it. Our other problem is weather, we have had several big hits this year that were totally obscured by cloud.
In view of how unreliable the lights and the weather is my advice would be to find somewhere close to home with totally dark skies. When the lights hit then drive there and take in the view and eventually the conditions will come good for you. Remember though that the sun is at a minimum at present and it will be about 5 years before we would be expecting regular big displays. If you book a week in Alaska or Scotland with the express purpose of seeing lights then you might get lucky, but chances are you will be disappointed just beause there are so many factors involved.
27 June 2005, 11:20 AM
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also called Aurora borealis
i live north ish and only ever seen them three times aged (22). at this moment sitting on an oil rig about 100 miles south of the arctic circle never seen them here!!
its just a green glow in scotland u have to go to alaska to see them properly!
remember it only happens on cold clear crisp night and obviously with no clouds which is rather rare in scotland!!
was a thing on the telly a while back about a guy that photographed them.
link below shows a few photos
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/
i live north ish and only ever seen them three times aged (22). at this moment sitting on an oil rig about 100 miles south of the arctic circle never seen them here!!
its just a green glow in scotland u have to go to alaska to see them properly!
remember it only happens on cold clear crisp night and obviously with no clouds which is rather rare in scotland!!
was a thing on the telly a while back about a guy that photographed them.
link below shows a few photos
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/
Last edited by Ciaran; 27 June 2005 at 11:32 AM.
27 June 2005, 01:02 PM
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Honestly, you do not have to go to Alaska to see them properly, nor are they a green glow in Scotland, or even in England. In the UK if you are interested in the lights then it is well worth making the effort to look out for them. In recent years there have been some very impressive displays and some of the best photos I have seen have come from Scotland, take a look at the last link below. However, there are people all across the UK taking photos:
http://www.baa-aurora.fsnet.co.uk/images.htm
Far from a green glow:
http://www.pbase.com/pvdwngrd/aurora_borealis
http://www.pbase.com/aberdn/aurora
Even in England:
http://www.sky-watch.com/gallery/aurora.html
Scroll to the bottom of this page and there are pictures from Hampshire, Cheshire and Calder Vale:
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast25apr_1m.htm
And these are just stunning:
http://www.smeter.net/aurora/10-29-0...enderson-1.php
http://www.jimhendersonphotography.com/auroras.htm
http://www.baa-aurora.fsnet.co.uk/images.htm
Far from a green glow:
http://www.pbase.com/pvdwngrd/aurora_borealis
http://www.pbase.com/aberdn/aurora
Even in England:
http://www.sky-watch.com/gallery/aurora.html
Scroll to the bottom of this page and there are pictures from Hampshire, Cheshire and Calder Vale:
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast25apr_1m.htm
And these are just stunning:
http://www.smeter.net/aurora/10-29-0...enderson-1.php
http://www.jimhendersonphotography.com/auroras.htm
27 June 2005, 01:24 PM
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27 June 2005, 01:45 PM
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Just found some photos of the event I mentioned previously on 21st January this year. These were taken in Scotland but the lights could be seen from much of the UK. In some areas the display was very bright but short lived. Where I happened to be at the time it lasted only about 20 minutes before subsiding to a weird green glow in the north. Again these photos are amazing:
http://www.smeter.net/aurora/1-21-05-jim-henderson.php
http://www.smeter.net/aurora/1-21-05-jim-henderson.php
27 June 2005, 05:21 PM
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Originally Posted by lightning101
Yeah - gods sake thickie. 
It was said in Jest as i originally said,where in the UK??
Then my question was "what COUNTY" not COUNTRY..!!!!
Come on guys..get up to speed..
BTW...thanks for all the info
So i take it Scotland mid August is gonnabe about best??
Cheers
27 June 2005, 06:51 PM
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As discussed earlier mid-August isn't ideal and my money always goes on November. Even mid-September would give you more hours of darkness and also, statistically, better weather with a better chance of seeing the sky than in August. The magnetic field of the earth should also be in a better state for lights.
Again Scotland is ideal in UK terms but dark skies are more important than another few miles further north and it is also important to let your eyes get used to the darkness, a quick look outside often reveals nothing. At this stage of the sunspot cycle the effects may not be too substantial and so you might be looking for subtle things going on.
The link J4CKO posted is for the magnatometer at York and is great for giving an indication of a storm in progress, even if there is not a big storm in progress a sharp rise or fall can often trigger an intense but short burst of lights. The following site also gives a good idea of when a CME is incoming and so can give some warning of a good show:
http://www.spaceweather.com/
Perdicting displays is nearly impossible on a scale longer than 24 - 48 hours but if there is a big flare directed at the earth then that spaceweather site will almost always shout about it. They miss lots of events however just because of the complexity of the situation and the number of variables.
Again Scotland is ideal in UK terms but dark skies are more important than another few miles further north and it is also important to let your eyes get used to the darkness, a quick look outside often reveals nothing. At this stage of the sunspot cycle the effects may not be too substantial and so you might be looking for subtle things going on.
The link J4CKO posted is for the magnatometer at York and is great for giving an indication of a storm in progress, even if there is not a big storm in progress a sharp rise or fall can often trigger an intense but short burst of lights. The following site also gives a good idea of when a CME is incoming and so can give some warning of a good show:
http://www.spaceweather.com/
Perdicting displays is nearly impossible on a scale longer than 24 - 48 hours but if there is a big flare directed at the earth then that spaceweather site will almost always shout about it. They miss lots of events however just because of the complexity of the situation and the number of variables.
27 June 2005, 07:08 PM
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I live in Shetland and see them every winter at least half a dozen times and that's without deliberately looking for them. I suggest November as a good bet. And yes Shetland is in the UK - just
Last edited by Kevin Groat; 27 June 2005 at 07:11 PM.
27 June 2005, 11:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Kevin Groat
I live in Shetland and see them every winter at least half a dozen times and that's without deliberately looking for them. I suggest November as a good bet. And yes Shetland is in the UK - just
28 June 2005, 11:22 AM
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Because of the current phase of the sun spot cycle, as pointed out earlier, displays are currently relatively rare. To go to Shetland for a week, or a month, at present is certainly a considerable risk but if you got lucky it would be a wonderful experience. You might get lucky but it could go either way. On the other hand the sunspot situation will probably not improve in a big way until about 2010ish and you are a long time dead. So, if you are going then make sure that the northern lights are not the only thing you intend to do.
As stated earlier if you can find a nice dark spot near home that you can drive to in a few minutes then you probably have a much better chance of making the best of any opportunity that presents itself. With a combination of visits to Shetland and a nearby dark spot I would say there is a reasonable chance of you seeing a display in the next 12 - 24 months but you probably need to think of it on that sort of timescale. To give you some idea there have been about three big potential UK displays so far this year, one lasted 20ish minutes for most people, one was big and lasted several days but was totally obscured by cloud and the most recent happened in daylight.
Good luck with your hunting, just don't give up on seeing it in your own back yard. Due to the nature of the sun that is probably the place you are most likely to see it from.
As stated earlier if you can find a nice dark spot near home that you can drive to in a few minutes then you probably have a much better chance of making the best of any opportunity that presents itself. With a combination of visits to Shetland and a nearby dark spot I would say there is a reasonable chance of you seeing a display in the next 12 - 24 months but you probably need to think of it on that sort of timescale. To give you some idea there have been about three big potential UK displays so far this year, one lasted 20ish minutes for most people, one was big and lasted several days but was totally obscured by cloud and the most recent happened in daylight.
Good luck with your hunting, just don't give up on seeing it in your own back yard. Due to the nature of the sun that is probably the place you are most likely to see it from.
28 June 2005, 06:45 PM
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Thanks for the info HH. the way i look at it is that,its a weekend away anyway,but with something interesting to try and spot come nightime..
Will get myself loaded up on the local malt,that way i can have my own "hazy light show"...
Will get myself loaded up on the local malt,that way i can have my own "hazy light show"...
28 June 2005, 08:05 PM
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Good way to approach it.
I had one remarkable evening in the Outer Hebrides in September some years back, I had some lovely music from Radio 3 going and was having nothing more than a nice cup of tea when I thought to go out and look at the stars. As my eyes got used to the dark I started to see the northern lights. It wasn't an amazing display by any means but to stand on the edge of the Atlantic in total darkness and silence, apart from the surf in the bay, with Mozart on the radio while the sky went mad was an experience I will never forget and tops the more dramatic displays I have seen.
If you get an experience like that I can assure you that you will never forget it and it will make an impression on you so even if you are not successful in Shetland don't give up and be sure to watch from home, no matter how far south in the UK you are you will be successful.
I had one remarkable evening in the Outer Hebrides in September some years back, I had some lovely music from Radio 3 going and was having nothing more than a nice cup of tea when I thought to go out and look at the stars. As my eyes got used to the dark I started to see the northern lights. It wasn't an amazing display by any means but to stand on the edge of the Atlantic in total darkness and silence, apart from the surf in the bay, with Mozart on the radio while the sky went mad was an experience I will never forget and tops the more dramatic displays I have seen.
If you get an experience like that I can assure you that you will never forget it and it will make an impression on you so even if you are not successful in Shetland don't give up and be sure to watch from home, no matter how far south in the UK you are you will be successful.
03 July 2005, 05:00 PM
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Just to update this:
If you have been watching there are now quite a few sunspots on the sun (hey, you don't get them on the moon very often do you.) and two have the potential for flares. It is all quiet at present but worth keeping an eye out and watching the space weather site to see if anything is on its way.
http://www.spaceweather.com/
Not the ideal time of year for it but keep the fingers crossed.
If you have been watching there are now quite a few sunspots on the sun (hey, you don't get them on the moon very often do you.) and two have the potential for flares. It is all quiet at present but worth keeping an eye out and watching the space weather site to see if anything is on its way.
http://www.spaceweather.com/
Not the ideal time of year for it but keep the fingers crossed.
03 July 2005, 10:52 PM
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Fatscooby - only just getting back to this after being in Glasgow seeing Coldplay this weekend
Good Hotels - main town is Lerwick, best Hotel is probably the Kveldsro....
http://www.shetlandhotels.com/kveldsro/index.html
My favourite - lots of character, and it's haunted...
http://www.bustahouse.com/
The 2nd one is about 3 miles from our house, it's on the outskirts of a village but there's not much nightlife outside the hotel.
Like Hedgehog says, can't guarantee the northern light but my money is on Nov/Dec - best I've seen is usually a very still, clear, cold night.
Edit to add photo of tonight's sunset, not northern lights but still pretty impressive, taken 23:00'ish
http://photobucket.com/albums/a227/s...t=IMGP1238.jpg
Good Hotels - main town is Lerwick, best Hotel is probably the Kveldsro....
http://www.shetlandhotels.com/kveldsro/index.html
My favourite - lots of character, and it's haunted...
http://www.bustahouse.com/
The 2nd one is about 3 miles from our house, it's on the outskirts of a village but there's not much nightlife outside the hotel.
Like Hedgehog says, can't guarantee the northern light but my money is on Nov/Dec - best I've seen is usually a very still, clear, cold night.
Edit to add photo of tonight's sunset, not northern lights but still pretty impressive, taken 23:00'ish
http://photobucket.com/albums/a227/s...t=IMGP1238.jpg
Last edited by Kevin Groat; 03 July 2005 at 11:18 PM.
04 July 2005, 08:02 AM
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Thanks for the info Kev..Sunset looks fantastic i gotta say..Think were gonna have a trip up there around Mid November.I would love to see a bit of something..but if the worse happens weve had a lovely weekend away!!
ta
ta
05 July 2005, 01:18 PM
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Instead of starting a new thread I thought I would mention here that there is now a sunspot with potentail for an X class solar flare. If this happens in the next few days then it will almost certainly be aimed at earth and there is a fair chance of getting a display across much of the UK. Worth keeping an eye on the situation and planning where you might go to watch it!
There is about a 5% chance of a flare in the next 24 hours, not great odds but better than we were seeing this time last week and if it is X class then it should produce a display.
There is about a 5% chance of a flare in the next 24 hours, not great odds but better than we were seeing this time last week and if it is X class then it should produce a display.
05 July 2005, 04:00 PM
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I subscribe to the Aurorawatch service and the emails containing news of solar flares usually turn up just after I switch the pc off 
hedgehog, can you text me next time please?
hedgehog, can you text me next time please?
05 July 2005, 08:27 PM
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Good thread this, interesting. Really did not think you could see them from England. Some nice links there. I worked in Iceland for a week last year, and really did see some spectacular displays over there. Really bright and clear. I was totally gutted my camera was not to hand!!! I will read more into the subject now.
Chris.
Chris.
07 July 2005, 06:36 PM
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It is worth being aware that we still have one very active sunspot and the chance of an X class flare in the next 24 hours has been upgraded to 10%. Not great odds but at present the sunspot is pointed right at us so if it lets go we should be in with a very good chance of lights.
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