Stargazers in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland saw the aurora borealis light up the sky on Halloween night, as cloud and rain cleared southwards on Saturday.
BBC Weather reported that the display delighted skywatchers and photographers. It said a weather front had moved away to leave those areas “perfectly placed” for the show.
One image shared with the BBC showed a bright green glow over Nairn in the Highlands.
Where it was forecast
The Met Office Space Weather Centre had flagged the chance of a display. Its space weather page said a solar wind enhancement arrived on Saturday 31 October, boosting auroral activity.
A Met Office spokesperson told the Express that sightings were likely across northern Scotland on Saturday night. There was also a chance elsewhere in Scotland and perhaps northern England, where skies were clear, Yorkshire Live reported.
Sunday night brought another chance, mainly across northern Scotland. The BBC said a weather front moving into the far north could bring cloud and hide the view in places. It also said any display would be weaker than the one on Halloween night.
The Met Office expects activity to ease from Monday night and return towards background levels. That means the best of this spell has probably passed.
How to catch it next time
The further north you are, the better your odds. Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England usually have the best chance, though a strong geomagnetic storm can push the lights much further south.
Yorkshire Live said you should face north and get away from street lighting. It also suggested using a mobile phone camera, which can pick up colour the eye may miss.
The Met Office says the best time to look is statistically between 10pm and midnight, though the aurora can appear at any point in the night, according to AOL’s report on its guidance. Daylight, cloud and light pollution can all spoil the view.
- Check the Met Office space weather forecast for aurora alerts.
- Check the cloud forecast as well, because clear skies matter as much as solar activity.
- Find a dark spot with an open view to the north.
The Met Office says auroral activity should drop towards background levels from Monday night.
Sources: Yorkshire Live, Met Office, AOL, BBC Weather
This story was compiled by the MDW Newsdesk with AI-assisted tools, using the reporting credited above.
