Here's why there's suddenly Northern Lights in the UK?

Brits lucky enough to have a cloudless sky this week may have caught a glimpse of the epic aerial dance of the northern lights. Also known as the aurora borealis, this spectacular natural light show is often most visible in Arctic regions near the north and south poles.

But in recent years, the northern lights have become more visible to those enjoying the sky from the British Isles.

This week, stargazers as far south as Sussex could capture a glimpse of the northern lights on Thursday night and even on Friday.
Meteorologists have already shared their tips for catching the best view of the northern lights from the UK this weekend.

It’s not the first time this year, either. Some Londoners were lucky enough to capture the spectacular light show across the night skies in spring.
Reports of the northern lights gracing UK skies appear to be growing year on year, and seeing this phenomenon so often is still pretty unusual.
So, what exactly is going on?

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Evening Standard on socials:

[juliesharp]

Are you trying to say this is normal for England, because it is not. Otherwise we would have been rushing out to our gardens to see them over the years. People would not have been travelling to Scandinavia either to see them.

[curlew-]

I’m 70 and I’ve seen the Northern lights since I was a child🙄🇬🇧

[greenrots]

A-aurora borealis, at this time of year, in this part of the country, localised in Edinburgh?!

[davidpartridge]

To be pedantic, the summer "equinox" is actually the "summer solstice" in June and the "winter solstice" is in December. I think you meant the "autumn equinox" which is around September 21st.
In any case, auroral activity has nothing to do with solstices or equinoxes. It is correlated with the 11 year sunspot cycle. At solar max the sun has lots of sunspots. These decrease gradually to almost none about 5 or 6 years later - solar minimum. Then they gradually increase again. When there are lots of sunspots the sun casts out lots of charged charged particles in the form of coronal mass ejections. Its these particles that hit our atmosphere, primarily in polar regions, to cause these lovely lightshows.

[lazrseagull]

Why is the title punctuated as a question?

[Jo-spcp]

The magnetic field is weakening as the magnetic poles migrate. This allows in more of the suns energy, also explains why aurora which used to be mainly green are now vibrant reds and purple.
But if you want to believe the sun is having a 'moment' cos you know 'science' go ahead 😂

[chRYst-]

"Here's why there's suddenly Northern Lights in the UK?"

The title suggests that we're going to find out why there are northern lights in the UK but asks us why the northern lights are in the UK at the same time

[jimfarey]

Why is there a question mark in the title?

[heather]

I wondered if it was because of the rapidly moving magnetic north pole.

[Jonnyxs]

Because the magnetic field is very weak and the pole is shifting
That’s why

[nickhart]

This is ill-informed. There have been no major solar flares strong enough to have caused aurorae so far south, regardless of the sun's peaking cycle. The reason is that earths magnetic pole drift is both accelerating per year and weakening at an increasing rate (it was something like a 10% reduction over 100 years and then a further 5% reduction over the last 50 with like further acceleration if it is a shift). As the planet's magnetic shield weakens, less.powerful solar events such as week M-class flares or groups of them are causing the aurora.

[fredchris]

I think youll the magnetic field of the earth is whats actually having a flap, i.e. fading away

[MrMeadfoot]

My balcony faces SSW and I saw them very clearly for about 45mins, this was in Torquay, Devon.

[geraldineedgecumbe]

Really.

I’d say it’s Magnetic pole shift
Sun flares
And TIAMAT

That’s a FACT

[garyeast]

I wish it got reported on better before hand. Its always norther lighs seen over britain last night. Great! Never seen em even tho i really do want to

[PamelaD]

Nothing to do with those straight clouds ☁️ everywhere …
🤔

[phillwheadon]

I agree with Nick Hart's comment below - I believe it is because there are dramatic changes taking place in the planet's magnetic field. We are due for a geomagnetic reversal and I understand the change process can last hundreds or thousands of years and is underway. Are these aurora events simultaneously appearing where we would expect them or is the whole spectacle moving southwards? In other words is it a super large event extending from the polar North to these southerly latitudes or are the lines of magnetic force being shifted and taking the particles with it to show the aurora in a new locality?

[scoobysean]

Finally been saying this for years chuck has a live stream watching the sun and its flares and spots there massive its been very very busy blasting flares

[pauldowney]

Enquiring Minds will want to find out why some very mediocre low key solar flares are producing such spectacular Northern Lights all across the Northern Hemisphere😅

[pauldowney]

Oh and why aren't we being told that x-rays and uvc are hitting the Earth's surface? Could there possibly be any connection?😮