The Northern Lights are set to be visible across the UK this weekend the Met Office has revealed.

Stargazers across the country have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, on numerous occasions already in 2024.

If you haven't managed to see them yet, don't worry.

Brits are set to get another chance to see what is described as "one of the most spectacular displays in the night sky" this weekend, according to Met Office forecasts.

Best time to see the Northern Lights

The Northern Lights may be visible in parts of the UK on Saturday night (October 5), according to the Met Office.

The Met Office Space Weather forecast reads: "Aurora activity is expected to increase this weekend, leading to aurora potentially being visible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England where skies are clear.

"Saturday night has the greatest likelihood of aurora being visible, with a chance that aurora may be visible further south, across central England and similar latitudes."

Best places to see the Northern Lights in the UK

According to the space weather forecast from the Met Office, the best spots in the UK to see the Northern Lights this weekend, particularly on Saturday night, are:

  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Northern England
  • Central England

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What are the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights are caused by charged particles from the sun hitting gases in the Earth's atmosphere.

The colours occur due to different gases in the Earth's atmosphere being energised by the charged particles.

Nitrogen and oxygen are the two most common gases in the atmosphere, with nitrogen emitting purple, blue and pink colours and oxygen emitting green.