The Northern Lights were visible for many across the UK on Friday night (May 10) and some might be wondering if the same will occur on Saturday night (May 11).

Many people shared pictures of the natural wonder in the night sky which was possible after one of the strongest geomagnetic storms for years hit Earth.

On Thursday (May 9), the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch for this weekend.

It is the second highest warning on its scale which was last issued all the way back in 2005, The Guardian reports.

It said the sun produced strong solar flares beginning Wednesday, resulting in five outbursts of plasma capable of disrupting satellites in orbit and power grids here on Earth.

The storm, caused by powerful eruptions known as coronal mass ejections, triggered the displays of the aurora.

Will the Northern Lights be visible again tonight in the UK?

It is likely that the Northern Lights will be visible again on Saturday night but on a reduced scale.

Krista Hammond, the Met Office’s space weather manager, said: “Aurora visibility may persist through Saturday night, but as it stands this is likely to be less widespread than on Friday night with northern parts of the UK most likely to continue to have the best viewing potential.”

Therefore, those in the south of England who saw the aurora on Friday may not be so lucky on Saturday.

Isle of Wight County Press: Many places in the south of England saw the Northern Lights on FridayMany places in the south of England saw the Northern Lights on Friday (Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

People in Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern parts of England usually have a higher likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights on occasions such as these.

BBC News reports that the clear skies on Friday evening helped the aurora be visible to many across the UK.


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What are the Northern Lights?

Also known as the aurora borealis, 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.