Met office northern lights map

This is a short-term forecast of the location and intensity of the aurora.

Information about the auroras - what are they and when are you likely to be able to see them This is a very rare occurrence. During more moderate to strong geomagnetic storms Kp , the Aurora borealis often moves southwards across southern Iceland or towards the Faeroes. These auroras can be faintly visible from the UK because they occur at high altitudes. The Sun goes through an 11 year solar cycle, from solar minimum, through solar maximum and back to solar minimum. Solar maximum occurred in early so we are now in the declining phase of the solar cycle. During this phase the position of coronal holes on the Sun's equator give rise to high speed solar wind streams that buffet the Earth, disturbing the Earth's magnetic field and increasing the likelihood of auroras.

Met office northern lights map

Plenty of people have seen great photos of the auroras, but how do you take a great photo of them? Auroras — best known in the northern hemisphere as the aurora borealis — are amongst the most dramatic and engaging sights of the natural world. For millennia they have been considered a sign from the gods or a precursor of key events of human significance. Today we can explain the origins or auroras, and even predict them, through science and careful observation. The long exposures and technical difficulties of early photography meant that it was not until that the first successful photograph of the aurora borealis from Norway was made — in black and white, of course. For the same technical reasons, it took until until the first colour photographs were made. Since then, photography has been key in helping scientists understand and document the various types of auroras. The Royal Photographic Society are experts in photography and have brought together the best advice on photography for the auroras below. Today, almost anyone armed with a smartphone or digital camera can make a picture of auroras. Auroras vary in intensity, patterns, movement, and colour ranging from magentas and purples, although green is the most common. It helps to have a camera you can control, and the ability to do a little post-processing of your digital file which can enhance what you have captured. For the best results there are some tips that will help you get the most from your camera and once you have mastered photographing auroras you can start to experiment about where you photograph from and what you include in your photograph to create a truly stunning picture. The RPS is a charity which aims to bring photography to everyone.

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Find out about how and why the northern lights form, and where to see them in the UK. The northern lights also known as aurora borealis appear as large areas of colour including pale green, pink, shades of red, yellow, blue and violet in the direction due north. During a weak aurora, the colours are very faint and spread out whereas an intense aurora features greater numbers of and brighter colours which can be seen higher in the sky with a distinct arc. The northern lights are best seen in darkness, away from any light pollution. The lights generally extend from 50 miles to as high as miles above the Earth's surface. The northern lights occur as a consequence of solar activity and result from collisions of charged particles in the solar wind colliding with molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Solar winds are charged particles that stream away from the Sun at speeds of around 1 million miles per hour.

Finland is one of the best inhabited regions in the world for viewing northern lights, i. Finland is on the southern rim of the auroral oval. The probability for seeing auroras is best in the northernmost part of the country, i. During geomagnetic storms the auroral oval expands southward and then auroras are seen also in Central and Southern Finland. The statistical probability for seeing auroras during a dark and cloudless night is approximately:. Helsinki, Turku : once in a month on average. The typical time for auroral displays is at midnight, and a couple of hours before and after. However, auroras may occur randomly anytime when the sky is dark enough for seeing them.

Met office northern lights map

Mainly dry, but intermittent rain in Southest-Iceland and rain in the south part by late afternoon. Temperature 3 to 10 deg. Staying mild.

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Basic equipment. Today, almost anyone armed with a smartphone or digital camera can make a picture of auroras. Get creative and experiment. Solar winds are charged particles that stream away from the Sun at speeds of around 1 million miles per hour. In other parts of the solar cycle these disturbances are largely the result of coronal mass ejections , which can give larger magnitude disturbances than these high speed streams. A circumzenithal arc is an optical effect which looks like an upside-down rainbow. Auroras usually occur in a band called the annulus a ring about 1, miles across centred on the magnetic pole. This allows an excess of light into the camera producing a brighter image of the event. The map on the right shows roughly where you might expect to see aurora based on Kp index levels. Follow MetOfficeSpace.

AuroraMap is a live Northern Lights forecast map. Using data from magnetometers worldwide alongside social media posts we can estimate where the Aurora Borealis could be seen. This is the 'kp' indicator.

Nitrogen causes the sky to glow blue yet when higher in the atmosphere the glow has a purple hue. This usually means using a tripod and a long exposure length. Try adding people in silhouette, or slightly lit, to give scale. These auroras can be faintly visible from the UK because they occur at high altitudes. Usually, when we talk about the first day of summer, we are referring to the astronomical summer which is defined by the Earth's axis and orbit around the Sun. The northern lights are best seen in darkness, away from any light pollution. Machol, J. These charged particles collide with gas molecules in the atmosphere. The Sun goes through an 11 year solar cycle, from solar minimum, through solar maximum and back to solar minimum. Note that not all stargazing sites will be suitable for auroral photography. Check the Met Office Space Weather forecast that will tell you where and when you are likely to observe an aurora. Space Weather Forecast Headline: High solar activity. Cameras may belong to AuroraWatch UK or to third parties and used with permission. Make the most of the aurora and take as many exposures as you can at different settings, and from different locations before you and your camera get too cold and head back indoors. Many of these features either can't be seen or appear as dark lines in the other channels.