The Northern Lights will take place on May 11 and here’s everything you need to know

It was a sight to behold for Aurora watchers as the Northern Lights lit up the sky on Friday. The pink and green light scenes that could be seen by people in the UK were a sight not to be missed.

Anyone unlucky enough to have missed the show the first time around, or those desperate to experience it again, then tonight (Saturday) could offer another chance due to a solar storm about to hit.

Here’s everything you need to know to make sure you don’t miss out:

Where can you see displays tonight?

Those hoping to see the lights on Saturday are advised to head north and to an area with low light pollution. Sightings in southern parts of the UK are less likely on Saturday, although the lights may be visible through a strong camera lens.

Shorter summer nights limit the window in which the lights can be seen, but there are good chances of sightings in areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England and Wales.

But clear skies are expected to end on Sunday, with thunderstorms ending the fine weather.

Where were the lights observed?

Pink and green streaks of light were seen across Britain and Europe on Friday evening, with sightings across the UK as far south as Suffolk. The Met Office said it had received images from Prague and Barcelona.

How can I improve my chances of seeing the lights?

Meteorologists advised staying away from streetlights and using a camera to improve your chances of seeing auroras, as cameras are better able to adapt to different wavelengths than our eyes. The lights are unlikely to be visible until it gets very dark around 11pm.

Remote, open areas with views of the northern horizon are best.

Why does it happen?

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles. As they collide, light is emitted at different wavelengths, creating colorful displays in the sky.

In the Northern Hemisphere, most of this activity takes place in a band known as the auroral oval, which covers latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees. When the activity is strong, it spreads out to cover a larger area – which explains why displays can occasionally be seen as far south as the UK.

Why are they so visible right now?

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the earth was hit by a G5 geomagnetic storm on Thursday. A G5 rating is considered “extreme” and the strongest level of solar storm. The cause of this storm was a “large and complex” sunspot cluster 17 times the diameter of Earth.

How common is it?

The last G5 storm hit Earth more than 20 years ago, in October 2003, and caused power outages in Sweden. Every 11 years, the sun’s poles reverse, causing bursts of solar activity that result in the aurora borealis. Scientists predict that the next solar maximum will occur at the end of 2024.