Northern Lights could be visible from UK TONIGHT after huge solar flares

IF YOU missed a rare chance to see the Northern Lights on Sunday, you may still have one last opportunity.

Some northern parts of the UK might get lucky on Monday night, as long as the skies remain clear.

Paul Scott/Triangle NewsNorthern Lights as seen from Scotland on Sunday[/caption]

SWNSMany were treated to the rare spectacle[/caption]

The phenomenon dazzled sky gazers on Sunday night – and into the early hours of Monday – with glowing hues of green and purple.

And now the Met Office predicts that the display could fill the skies for a second night.

But it’s not expected to be anywhere near as widespread as before.

Northern parts of Scotland have the best chance of spotting it again.

“Effects are expected to start waning through today, with aurora sightings still likely at high latitudes,” forecasters said.

“Chances of aurora in the UK tonight are declining, and expected to be confined to mostly northern parts of Scotland under clear skies.”

Data from Nasa and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggested there is an 80 percent chance that Earth will experience a major space storm on March 14.

What causes the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, happen because of electrically charged particles from the sun, smashing into gaseous particles in our planet’s atmosphere.

This solar flare is often joined by a coronal mass ejection – which is a huge expulsion of plasma from the sun’s outer layer.

The massive burst of material from the sun prompts a geomagnetic storm, which brings the aurora to lower latitudes.

The solar storms cause bright, colourful dancing lights in white, green, pink and purple that illuminate the sky and are considered an incredible sight. 

Colour variations occur when different types of gas particles collide with the charged particles.

SWNSNorthern Lights[/caption]

In other news, prudish Nasa has admitted it may have to study sex in space if humanity is ever going to make it to other planets.

An ancient mega-landslide deep under the ocean has been uncovered which could cause a massive tsunami with “just a little shake in the wrong place”.

Samsung has been accused of throttling the performance of more than 10,000 apps running on its latest smartphone.

And Nasa will let you send your name on a flight around the Moon – for FREE.

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