The Northern Lights could be visible across parts of the UK from Friday night thanks to unusual 'weather' on the surface of the Sun. A coronal hole opened on the Sun's surface on Monday - and experts say it was 30 times the size of the Earth.
The huge black 'spot' on the Sun's surface has sent solar winds towards the Earth, and magnetic radiation is due to crash into the atmosphere from Friday, March 24.
The magnetic field will interact with the atmosphere and create Northern Lights ribbons of colour across the sky for some parts of the UK, reports Insider.
Alex Young, associate director for science at NASA Goddard's Heliophysics Science Division, told Insider: "The current coronal hole, the big one right now, is about 300,000 to 400,000 kilometers across. That is about 20-30 Earths lined up back-to-back."
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting a level 2 geomagnetic storm for Friday - rated as 'moderate'. It will hit the atmosphere between 6pm and 12am.
The likelihood of seeing Northern Lights will increase the further north you are.
The lights were seen across the UK at the end of February, putting on displays for several days.
Jim Wild, Professor of Space Physics, Lancaster University, told The Conversation: "The near-Earth region of space is known as the magnetosphere. It is a cocktail of atoms and molecules from the Earth’s upper atmosphere, shattered and heated by solar radiation (electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun).
"The aurora borealis is created when these electrically charged particles rain down into the upper atmosphere. Most of the incoming particles that stimulate the light are electrons. As the patterns of precipitation shift, the aurora shimmer and dance across the sky. Electrons are accelerated down along the Earth’s magnetic field towards the polar regions.
"The Sun emits a couple of million tonnes of particles every second, forming the solar wind that constantly flows through our solar system. The solar wind drags remnants of the Sun’s powerful magnetic field with it, bathing the planets in a magnetised steam of particles smaller than atoms. Interactions between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetosphere power the northern lights."
He added: "The Sun’s activity varies over an 11-year solar cycle, with CMEs (and aurora over the UK) more likely during the active parts of the cycle. At present, solar activity is increasing as we move towards the next solar maximum, expected in 2025. Keep watching the skies – and social media."
