The last time we said the Northern Lights would be visible in Birmingham we might’ve told you a small lie. Thanks to acclaimed artist Dan Acher and his spectacular light installation, we all saw the aurora borealis outside the Bullring in February. BUT THIS TIME we’re telling you nothing but the truth!
Due to an intense Solar Storm, the whole of the UK may bear witness to the Northern Lights tonight (May 10). It’s the first time since January 2005 that the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center in America has issued a Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch. And with clear skies expected too, this will be your best chance to see the aurora borealis for a while.
Why is Birmingham the best city to see the Northern Lights?
Thanks to the Icelandic Tour Company, Bókun, we now know Birmingham’s the top city for seeing the aurora tonight. It’s studied the light pollution levels of each major UK city along with elevation to put Birmingham and Leeds in joint first. Birmingham has the fourth lowest light pollution levels (18mag./arc sec 2) out of all major cities and comes second in the UK for elevation (127m).
“The allure of the Northern Lights is the entire mystery that surrounds it,” said Daniel Hasselbach, UK Country Manager from Bókun. “We never truly know if or when it’s going to appear but with 2024 being the peak of activity for The Sun, the chances are much greater than ever before.”
What is the aurora borealis?
Auroras occur when charged particles in the solar wind collide with molecules in Earth’s atmosphere. It was Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei who named them ‘aurora borealis’ in 1619, but the earliest reference comes from a cave painting in France, which is 30,000 years old.
According to The Met Office: “Depending on which gas molecules are hit and where they are in the atmosphere, different amounts of energy are released as different wavelengths of light. Oxygen gives off green light when it is hit 60 miles above the Earth, whilst at 100-200 miles rare, all-red auroras are produced. Nitrogen causes the sky to glow blue yet when higher in the atmosphere the glow has a purple hue.”
How can I see the aurora borealis in Birmingham?
We already know that Friday night will be the best night to see it, but you may be able to spot it too on Saturday evening. The strongest lights tend to be seen from 9pm to 2am, but we’d recommend keeping an eye on the skies between 11pm and midnight when the skies are darkest. We’d also recommend looking towards the northern horizon and getting out into dark, open spaces.