Heads up! You might be able to spot something pretty special in the skies above you tonight. According to the Internet’s aurora-chasers, the Earth is in for one colourful display this evening, and the ethereal lights might be visible in more locations than usual.
Typically, the Northern Lights are visible in places like Iceland, Norway and Canada. But every now and again – like Wednesday's G1-class geomagnetic storm – the northern reaches of the USA and UK get a display too. It looks like this aurora will skip the US, but UK residents are in for a treat – if they can get to a clear spot.
Should the storm persist and the weather be favourable (and it looks like they will be!) there's a fair chance of seeing the Northern Lights from anywhere in the UK when it gets dark later this evening! The aurora appears above the northern horizon as a faint, colourful glow. Look towards the northern horizon as soon as it goes dark to see if you can spot it. The further north you are, the brighter it should appear.
The best conditions are dark, cloudless spots as far away as possible from light pollution. The main problem stargazers might have? Poor visibility: cloud cover will seriously shrink your chance of being able to see the lights. But if the weather plays ball, this is definitely worth braving the cold for.