The Northern Lights could make another appearance across the UK tonight after lighting up skies from Scotland to Kent.
The rare and vibrant glow, known as the Aurora Borealis, was visible on both Friday and Saturday nights, leaving residents across the country in awe.
This "incredible occurrence" can occasionally be spotted in the sky over Britain, with sightings over recent years becoming more frequent.
The Met Office has said sightings could continue to be possible during clear skies until Tuesday.
A Met Office spokesperson said: "Two glancing coronal mass ejections followed by a coronal hole high speed stream bring a daily chance of enhancing the auroral oval."
It added that sightings are possible across Scotland, northern England and similar geomagnetic longitudes where skies are clear between October 11 and 13.
Northern Lights visible over the UK as far down as the south
The Northern Lights are typically only visible near the Arctic Circle and northern Scotland.
The phenomenon is caused by charged particles from coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on the Sun, which interact with the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere.
When these particles collide with oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere, they emit photons of coloured light, creating the aurora effect.
Visibility depends on the strength of the geomagnetic activity.
An activity level of 200 nanoteslas (nT) would make the aurora visible in northern parts of the UK, but not the south.
On Saturday night (October 10), levels reached 600nT, making the display visible across the entire country, including southern regions - a rare event.
This meant the Northern Lights could be seen as far south as Devon, Hampshire and Kent yesterday evening.
Will the Northern Lights be visible again tonight?
If you missed the display, there may still be a chance to catch it tonight.
To maximise your chances, look northwards and avoid bright streetlights.
A mobile phone camera may help reveal colours that are not visible to the naked eye due to the limitations of human vision in low-light conditions.
Rod cells in our eyes, which are used for night vision, do not detect colour, which is why the aurora may appear colourless to some viewers.
Cameras, however, do not have this limitation and can capture the full spectrum of colours in the night sky.
If, however, the Northern Lights do not return as visible as last night, they will likely make a return to UK skies in the future.
Krista Hammond, a manager at the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC), said: “Activity on the Sun, and in particular the number of visible sunspots, varies over roughly an 11-year period, known as the solar cycle.”
The last solar minimum, which is when the Sun had the lowest frequency of visible sunspots in the solar cycle, occurred in December 2019.
This means that the Sun’s activity is currently increasing.
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As a result, more of the Sun's electrically charged particles are travelling towards the Earth and getting caught in its magnetic field, thus producing more of the aurora effect.
Krista added: “Over the coming years, as we continue towards the solar maximum, we can expect to see an increase in the frequency of space weather events, with more chances to see the Aurora Borealis over the UK.”
Did you get a glimpse of the Northern Lights over the UK last night? Let us know in the comments.
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