Scotland could be able to see the Northern Lights become visible, as the aurora borealis puts on a festive Boxing Day display.
Not often seen easily as far south as the UK, the Met Office space weather centre has said that although not clear in recent weeks, the lights could be spotted on December 26.
Hoping to see a coronal mass ejection (CME) and fast wind combine, the conditions could allow the stunning spectacle to be bixible "across Scotland."
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Today the weather forecaster said: "The auroral oval is likely to see enhancement at times in this period, initially from a fast wind but on 26 December from a fast wind and potentially a CME, probably resulting in the peak display.
"This may be visible across Scotland and similar geomagnetic latitudes at peak, but this relies on both a notable fast wind and a CME combining, and neither feature is assured."
Edinburgh is forecast to have ideal conditions for a potential sighting, with clear skies from around 5pm to 9pm, however by 10pm some cloud cover will have moved in over the east coast.
The Scottish Daily Express reports that although minor activity was spotted on Christmas Eve, it sadly did not translate into an auroral display, according to AuroraWatch UK.
What are the Northern Lights and how best to see them
The Northern Lights are the result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by the solar wind and cause spectacular light displays in the skies over northern latitudes. The same phenomena can also be seen in the Southern Hemisphere, known as aurora australis.Light pollution has an effect on the visibility of the phenomena so the Northern Lights are best viewed is remote locations but can sometimes still be visible in cities. In Scotland, they are usually best viewed in Shetland, Orkney, Cairngorms, Outer and Inner Hebrides, and Caithness and Sutherland.
People heading out to try and catch an aurora are advised by Cottages and Castles to:
Check the weather forecast – the best conditions are clear and still nights.
Find a remote area where you are not in sight of street lights, as they can tamper with your view.
Wrap up warmly with several layers of insulation. It is also a good idea to come armed with a blanket, and a flask of hot tea or coffee.
Keep an eye out for unusual light patterns in the sky. Sometimes it can look like a faint flicker of colour, and other times you will have no doubt that it is the auroras.
Take your camera – you will want to try and capture the memory.
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