Northern Lights could make appearance tonight with 'severe' solar storm forecast
A geomagnetic storm is on its way that according to experts could be on par with the one that caused the 'once in a generation' spectacular aurora display in May this year
by Catherine Addison-Swan · ChronicleLiveThe Northern Lights could make another appearance in North East skies tonight (Thursday, October 10) following a stunning display earlier this week.
The sun is currently going through a period of high activity known as Solar Maximum, with increased solar storms and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which help to create the colourful celestial phenomenon. And the latest Met Office Space Weather forecast has confirmed that a "large material-rich full halo" coronal mass ejection was observed leaving the Sun early on October 9, and is predicted to hit Earth late on Thursday or early on Friday.
Forecasters said: "Later on 10 Oct or on 11 Oct a significant enhancement is expected. Aurora sightings are likely across Scotland and Northern Ireland, perhaps across northern England, with a slight chance of sightings across parts of the Midlands or the south of England where skies are clear."
The recent equinox also means that aurora displays at this time of year are likely to be at their best, because around the equinoxes the tilt of the Earth's axis is at the ideal position to allow more solar winds into the atmosphere. This, combined with the recent flurry of solar activity, means that right now is one of the best times to catch a Northern Lights show - but aurora hunting is a sport that requires a great deal of patience and perseverance, as the forecasts are notoriously unpredictable.
North East expert Steven Lomas, who runs the Northern Lights Hunters North East Facebook group, gave his verdict on the chances of a display tonight. "If it does hit, they're expecting it to be a G4 level geomagnetic storm, which is severe - bordering on G5, which is extreme," he explained.
The last time a geomagnetic storm with a rating of G5 hit was on May 10 this year, which resulted in the famously spectacular "once in a generation" display of of the Northern Lights across the UK. Before then, a G5 storm had not been seen since 2003.
However, Steven cautioned: "Of course, it could be a lot weaker than that. Or it could be substantially stronger than that. But they're expecting it to be a big one."
If the stars do align for a Northern Lights display, clear skies are forecast in the region tonight, making ideal viewing conditions if you're heading out to a dark spot in the countryside or at the coast. The latest Met Office forecast reads: "Any showers along the coast will fizzle out to see a dry evening with clear skies." But be sure to wrap up warm, with temperatures expected to drop down to 2°C.
To stay up to date with the latest Northern Lights forecast, Steven previously shared with ChronicleLive that he tracks an app called Space Weather Live, which shows him both the speed and density of the solar wind - the greater these are, the more chance of a strong aurora display - as well as the interplanetary magnetic field, which has to be flipped south for the aurora to develop. He also checks the Glendale App, which offers real-time advice on any developing aurora displays across the world, so these apps are worth keeping an eye on after nightfall for the latest updates.
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