More chances to see Northern Lights across the UK tonight

There's a good chance the Northern Lights will be visible in the night sky tonight across the UK, much further south than they are normally seen.

The Northern Lights were visible across the UK on Sunday – and according to the Meteorological Office could be seen again tonight.

Royal Museums Greenwich explains on its website that the lights are caused by solar storms on the surface of the sun giving out clouds of electrically charged particles which can travel millions of miles and collide with the Earth.

Most particles are deflected away but some are captured in the Earth’s magnetic field and accelerate down towards the north and south poles, colliding with atoms and molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, according to the observatory.

The lights are the product of this collision between atoms and molecules from the Earth’s atmosphere and particles from the sun.

What are the chances of seeing the Northern Lights tonight?

As always, the further north you are, the more likely you are to see the lights, but the Met Office says it is possible.

The solar flare which has created the phenomenon will continue into tonight but you'll need a clear sky to be able to see them, and you'll need to be away from any light pollution.

It is forecast to be a little more cloudy tonight, but there should be plenty of gaps in the cloud cover so keep your fingers crossed!

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