Northern Lights could be visible from northern England and Scotland TONIGHT after huge solar flare
THE Northern Lights could be visible from parts of England and Scotland TONIGHT as a huge solar flare lights up the sky.
Brits may be graced by glowing skies from the comfort of their own homes instead of hauling themselves to the Arctic Circle.
The powerful solar flare sent a massive volley of space radiation towards Earth, resulting in a coronal mass ejection (CME).
This is a huge expulsion of plasma from the Sun's outer layer, called the corona.
It is expected to cause geomagnetic storms as it pummels towards our planet on late Sunday or early Monday.
Clear skies mean skywatchers have an even better chance of observing the green hue or auroras this evening.
READ MORE UK NEWS
Those in Scotland and northern England have the best chance of witnessing the phenomenon, but if you miss it tonight, fear not.
Experts said its effects will likely continue into Monday night, making the Northern Lights visible along the northern horizon if skies remain clear.
The Met Office explained: "Satellite images show a CME leaving the sun yesterday, which could produce minor/moderate geomagnetic storms on 13 or 14 March, with aurora sightings possible for Scotland and northern England."
They added in another post that the CME is ";expected to have an Earth directed component, which is expected to arrive either late on day 3 (13th) or early on day 4 (14th)."
Most read in The Sun
The rare event has prompted Brits to plan to venture outside overnight, in a bid to capture the perfect shot of the aurora.
Data from Nasa and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggests there is an 80 percent chance that Earth will experience a major space storm on March 14.
Within its prediction, there is a 20 percent chance that the UK will be affected by the storm.
The incoming CME could also cause power grid fluctuations with voltage alarms at higher latitudes, where the Earth is more exposed.
The storms can wreak havoc on navigation systems and cause entire national power grids to grind to a halt.
However, our planet has a natural protection against them, including our magnetic field and an atmosphere that blocks most.
Read More on The Sun
But they can directly affect communications and radio transmissions, sparking concerns that they could wreak havoc on modern civilisation.
They are also particularly dangerous for airline pilots and astronauts, who could be susceptible to radiation during a storm.