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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Patrick Glover

Met Office reveals when and where Northern Lights 'may be visible' this weekend

THE Northern Lights may be visible in parts of Scotland again this week, according to the Met Office.

Stargazers across the country have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis, several times already in 2024.

Scots may get another chance to see what is described as "one of the most spectacular displays in the night sky" this weekend, according to Met Office forecasts.

Best time to see the Northern Lights this weekend

The Northern Lights may be visible in parts of the UK overnight on Saturday (November 2), according to the Met Office.

The Met Office Space Weather forecast reads: "Mainly background aurora conditions expected at first.

"Into the evening of Saturday 02 November there is the possibility Earth may connect with a faster solar wind, which has the potential of bringing minor solar storms.

"Aurora may be visible at times during hours of darkness across the far north of the UK, but this is currently fairly low confidence."

Best places to see the Northern Lights in the UK

According to the Space Weather forecast from the Met Office, the best spots to see the Northern Lights on Saturday will be in "far north" areas of the UK.

What are the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights are caused by charged particles from the sun hitting gases in the Earth's atmosphere.

The colours occur due to different gases in the Earth's atmosphere being energised by the charged particles.

Nitrogen and oxygen are the two most common gases in the atmosphere, with nitrogen emitting purple, blue and pink colours and oxygen emitting green.

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