The Northern Lights may be visible over Penrith and across Cumbria tonight (Friday 8th August), following the arrival of a coronal mass ejection (CME) and elevated solar wind speeds after a sun spot fired material out into space towards earth earlier this week, according to forecasts issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the UK Met Office.
Both agencies have said that geomagnetic activity is expected to increase significantly over the next 48 hours, with the CME expected to impact Earth around midnight on Friday. The event is likely to trigger geomagnetic storms rated between G1 (minor) and G2 (moderate) on the NOAA space weather scale.
Given current atmospheric conditions and relatively low cloud cover forecast across the north of England, there is a good opportunity for spotting the auroral activity locally tonight and Saturday night. The optimal viewing window is expected from approximately 11pm on Friday through until 1pm Saturday morning.
The visibility of the aurora will depend on the intensity of the geomagnetic disturbance and local weather conditions. Observers are advised to avoid light-polluted areas and to look northward towards the horizon.
The Met Office and NOAA will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.
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