Exact time Northern Lights will be visible again over Scotland

THE Northern Lights could be visible again across Scotland tomorrow as the Met Office issued a 90 per cent chance alert.

We told how stargazers were treated to the most powerful geomagnetic storm in nearly 20 years last Friday which caused a dazzling natural light show across the country.

So strong was the solar activity that even light pollution hotspots such as Glasgow, Edinburgh and surrounding central belt towns were able to view the extremely rare Aurora Borealis.

Bu Scots were disappointed this weekend after the phenomenon failed to dazzle the country’s skies despite forecasts.

Now the Met Office have said more significant space weather activity is expected to occur tonight.

A “red alert” has been issued – meaning aurora will be visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK.

Images show an enhancement to the aurora across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland at 9pm.

Met Office space weather expert Krista Hammond said: “The sunspot region will be be coming back round onto the Earth facing side of the sun.”

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth‘s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.”

The sun is currently in the most active period of its 11-year cycle, STV weatherman Sean Batty explained: “The sun goes through solar cycles with warmer and cooler phases, but this year and next will be where the sun reaches its current peak in activity before it starts a slow decline to a minimum in several years time.

“It’s during the peaks and warmer phases where sunspots appear and occasionally these explode sending high speed particles into space which rush past the planets in its path, and for earth, lighting up our skies with displays we know as the aurora.

“We had a huge explosion from the sun which was directed straight at earth a few weeks ago, which led to the amazing displays we saw on May 10 and 11.

“Activity has remained higher than usual and a flare from the sun on Friday has allowed another rush of particles to head our way, which should reach earth tonight with another chance of seeing the Northern Lights.”