UKH

Remarkable display tonight here in Harrogate, structures visible even with naked eye… glad I took dog out much later than usual!

Similar in Cumbria.

Disappointingly nothing here in south Manchester last night - presumably due to urban light pollution. Members of my climbing club were sharing amazing pics taken out in the Peak though.

Does anyone know if a repeat performance is likely tonight? I'm thinking of heading out of town to find some darker skies.

I used these couple of sites to decide on whether to go out last night

https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/off_belay/the_northern_lights_visible_on_...

Yes, only spotted that this morning. I should probably have checked last night before I posted- but it was 2am, I was very excited, and very, very drunk… 😁

I'm surfing down in Cornwall and last night was the first time I've seen them.

Feels ironic to head down here to see the Northern lights!

What do people think are the chances of seeing them again tonight, assuming clear skies? Hoping to head out in the sea kayak around 10 or 11pm to see if we can see them

This article suggests Scotland and Northern England could be good tonight. They were incredible last night where we are near Ullapool.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/may/11/how-can-i-see-the-n...

If you can wait until midnight, they were best then last night. It was a bit too light before then.

I saw them once from Ardnamurchan, they were faint, nothing like these photos, but I did get excited! Didn't know about last night, and of course it's now cloudy in C Scotland. Anyway, for fans of the phenomenon, and curling, and other obscure sports, here's a wee tune in celebration.  youtube.com/watch?v=dv1h3VSQjf8&

I reckon we can stay out til midnight, as long as the skies stay clear. Current forecast is cloud coming in around 1am, so I am hopeful

Most people around here (Trawsfynydd) were expecting a mild display to the north. Instead, we were treated to the most amazing show in a broad band from west to east with the epicentre being roughly overhead, somewhere near the star Arcturus. At its strongest between 22.45 and midnight. Never seen anything like it.

Was bivvying on top of a Munro, it was absolutely outstanding. Didn't fall asleep till after 2am as I kept looking at the sky.

Colours visible without needing long exposure too. Big curtains of light and swirls. At one point the whole sky seemed lit up - usually it's predominantly to the north.

My photos are rubbish though as trying to hold the phone steady without my wee tripod in a bivvy bag wasn't easy.

Other half got some good ones though - he seemed to find a better way of keeping the phone/camera steady than me. I'll get him to post one. 

Just realised he post some on the other thread: https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/off_belay/the_northern_lights_visible_on_...

Not as epic as last night but still looks like G3 is on the cards so by normal standards, yes.

I saw it in Derbyshire on Friday night

I was looking at about 10.15pm and could see the crescent moon low down but no signs of activity. There was more cloud about than Friday night here in Lancashire and it was past my bedtime so did I miss the display of the century?

We had clear enough skies but no sign of it. We gave up at around 12.30am. 

However, we were out in the sea kayaks watching for it and we got bioluminescence 🙂 That was very cool.

Same here. Drove out into a darkish part of Cheshire but no show and we headed back just after 11pm. There was some cloud but I'd hoped to see something.

There's another warning for an "extreme" level geomagnetic storm today and overnight, so may be another chance if you're somewhere with clear skies.

Only vans and doggers again, tsk.

This was Friday night north of Lancaster.

looking promising for another G4/5 storm but cloud cover forecasts less so;(

may clear up about 3-4am for me so may set alarm..

Where were you, Fiona ? We were in Poolewe both nights and saw nothing.

On top of An Socach (the one above Alltbeithe Hostel).

Here's the best shot I got after tweaking the colours etc. 

Nice shot, and not too far from where we were. We kept looking outside till about 3am, both nights. Nothing !

The camera and long exposure makes it much more vivid. To the naked eye you usually just see a weird glow (like the sky doesn't quite look right), streaks or swirls or lit up bits that move/pulsate. Often the colour isn't visible without a camera to enhance things.

On Friday the storm was a big one. The streaks were obviously pink/purple with hints of green.

Colours were definitely visible to naked eye in Amble on Friday night; green, pink and purple to a lesser extent (hint of).

We'd expected to have to look north low down (as one is normally advised) but as described up thread, it was a bit like a giant dome with the centre being a weeny bit south of directly overhead and most of the activity being to the east and west.

I had planned to bivvy on the south ridge of yr wyddfa as I was doing race safety cover for the UTS, I wasn’t even aware of impending aurora, I’d turned notifications of on my app the previous month.

Someone mentioned aurora when I was picking up radios I checked the app 3% chance and i didn’t think much off it. After a ling hot sweaty trudge up yr wyddfa with way to much equipment safety kit etc I Took a couple of random sunset pictures and settled down for the obligatory hot chocolate and was just closing my eyes having reassured myself there was no aurora.

literally as I was closing my eyes i caught a glimmer in the sky out the corner of my eye.

Thankfully i managed to catch it and had taken the “big camera” and tripod up, I can’t imagine the Homer simpson level of Doooooh I would have felt waking up to a social media feed of Aurora.

Wow.

I think it was Channel 5 news, the excited reporter said they'd been seen all over the UK, and as far south as New Zealand.  Has she not heard of the Southern Lights.?

For those that missed them ...

Amazing display at Buttermere

wow these are great photos i unfortunately missed out on seeing these it would've been amazing 

me too;(

sunspot 3664 is still going tho- strongest flare yet (X8.7) on 14th, but not much toward us:

youtube.com/watch?v=m0adW6mkEwg&

should come into view again at end of the month..