Aurora borealis

[Wild-Woman]

We are planning a holiday this year in Scotland.My hubby has always wanted to see the Northern Lights but we need to know where and when is best. Ta. ww

[henrya]

There is a website somewhere that tells you the likelihood of seeing the AB, and where. A colleague uses it - I'll get the URL off him tomorrow.

henrya

[Mark43]

Found this

http://www.visitscotland.com/aboutsc...auroraborealis

http://www.wildlifehebrides.com/safari/chronicles/

Hope they help a bit.

[Wild-Woman]

Thanks for info. Looks like we have missed the boat on timing then. Didn't realise they are in a cycle. Looks like we'll have to look for old Nessie instead.ww

[Mark43]

And this

http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/iono/aurorawatch/

[Wolfhill]

Hi wild-woman I live in Perthshire and every so often we see the northern lights some nights have been really spectacular large displays, you can see two images of the Aurora Borealis I took near my home in Perthshire through these links:

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...mage-4891.html
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...mage-4890.html

I would say the best time of year to see the Northern lights in Scotland is in Autumn this is purely beceause this is when I see it most often, The best places to go to see the Northern lights in Scotland would be as far north as possible as this is where you are more likely to see some activity. However it all depends on Sunspots on the surface of the sun facing towards Earth which trigger off the possibility of the Aurora Borealis. I am a member of a site called
www.spaceweather.com/
this site emails you when there is any solar activity eg Aurora Borealis.
Hope this helps.
Fergus

[paulst]

You are so lucky, ive been into astronomy for many years and have never seen the northern lights, oh well, maybe one day paul

[Polecat]

I watched the show for the first time a few years ago here in wales, it is sometimes visible in kent too!........and further south in France. Mark 43 's link is good, they'll email you when activity may be visible. Getting to a place with little light pollution does boost your chances.....
.........It is worth every nights sleep lost or a journey to canada/norway etc...to watch, nothing else quite compares in this terrestrial world IMO.

[henrya]

Quote
it is sometimes visible in kent too!
Endquote

Quite right. My father was living in Dover during the war, and saw a splendid display, which was, of course, particularly visible because of the blackout. But many people didn't know what it was, and thought it was some new weapon!


henrya

[paulst]

You can seem them in N England at times, but the light pollution is very bad so I havent seen any paul

[Wild-Woman]

Everyone's information has been very helpful. Thanks. I had no idea that it is possible to see the AB in Kent! That was a surprise. Trouble is we get a lot of light pollution from London and Dartford but it's still worth knowing that. The websites are useful too. The photos are stunning too. Cheers. WW

[henrya]

Try

http://sec.noaa.gov/pmap/index.html
http://www.spaceweather.com/

henrya

[Airehead]

A few year ago I saw the AB from the back of my house (W. Yorkshire), looking north (of course) across an uphill field. It showed as a ribbon arced across the sky just above the rather high horizon. Randomly spaced bands of light move across it from right to left. It looked very much like a long animated bar code.

[JM]

Hope you do see them, I spent 6 weeks in Finnish lapland and never saw them (probably due to the beer and a mispent youth snow boarding!)

[ian_g]

I've been fortunate enough to see them three times now, once in Warrington (of all places!!), albeit marred by light pollution.

The west coast of Scotland (where I have visited many many times) is ideal, but as stated in earlier posts, it isn't guaranteed. The peninsula of Ardnamurchan (the most westerly point of the British mainland) is perfect for this. It's 43 miles away from Fort William, not one iota of light pollution, beautiful white sand beaches, an abundance of wildlife (golden eagles, Otters etc.) and is a perfect holiday location. If you try and find somewhere in Kilchoan or thereabouts, you're laughing for there's the Isle of Mull which is a short ferry trip across from Kilchoan and the beautiful 'town' of Tobermory is there.

No, I don't work for the Ardnamurchan Tourist Board

One downside, it's a hell of a long trip but I've been there four times and hold the place close to my heart.

Ian G

[TORTUGA]

I went to Norway a few years ago and saw it there. There is very little light pollution there and so it was very clear. When we left Norway on the flight home the pilot flew North briefly and turned all the internal lights on the plane off, flying first one way for a few minutes so that the left side of the plane could see it and then turning the other way so that the right side could see it.

[Fiona]

Hi I'm going to Norway in a few weeks. Will it still be possible to see them then? I'm going to Bergen and Oslo

[TORTUGA]

I dont thinkyou will. I went alot further North to Narvik to see Orcas which is inside the Arctic Circle however as other people have said you can see it alot further south but not this time of year. I went late November when it got light at 0900 and by 1230 mid day it was pitch black again. This time of year its not dark at all, although down at Bergen and Oslo you are not far enough North for that. You will have reduced darkness hours though, maybe only a couple of dark hours. Enjoy but I hope you wont eat whale meat. You may be offered it at markets and restaurants.

[Tormentil]

Many moons (sic) ago when we were in northen Norway I saw the auroras. Truely spectacular sight to see.

[Epona]

It just depends on the amount of solar activity at the time your there, also you will need a pretty clear sky. Obviously the further north you are in the UK the better chance of seeing them, but it's still abit of pot luck. There is a web site called www.spaceweather.com which can be really helpful in letting you know when there is a chance of seeing the northern lights. You can register with them for free and they will send you e-mails when anything unusual or exciting is due to happen. Sorry to not be more positive, hope you are lucky scotland is the best place in the UK to catch the northern lights. I was lucky enough a couple of years ago to see them here in South Cheshire. Hope the web site is of help to you.

[eeyore]

Iceland is very good for them - and also some truly spectacular landscape - just dont get your camera too close to the geezers

[Tormentil]

Yes, beware strange geezers.

[eeyore]

Particularly if they are hot and steamy

[senua]

Saw one from Kent about 4 years ago now (a friend phoned be from Norway and said as the Aurora was so powerfull there I might have a chance in Kent). And one two years back from a graveyard in the middle of Edinburgh (early December).
I was on a ghost tour and looked up and there was this pinky red aurora.
Have afriend who lives in Ullapool. Since he moved there over five years ago, he's seen a few hundred.
Even if the Sun is not at it's peak in the cycle you can still get to see them. The further north the better.
Keep a check on the sites posted and it's always worth looking out each clear night. You never know.

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/

[arvensis]

I've seen the Aurora Borealis a few times down here in Hampshire. Shame we are still in the doldrums of the solar cycle as chances to see it are few and far between.

Mark