UK amongst cheapest Northern Lights hotspots ahead of rare solar activity spike
The Northern Lights are about to be stronger and more regularly visible than at any time for years.
Solar maximum is the regular period of greatest solar activity during the Sun's 11-year solar cycle. During this time large numbers of sunspots appear, and the solar irradiance output grows.
One of the things that means for us down here on Earth - aside from potential disruption to electrical grids and increased health risks for airline workers - is that the Northern Lights (aka the Aurora Borealis) in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis) in the Southern Hemisphere are stronger.
This is a result of energetic particles that have been redirected toward Earth's poles before colliding with atoms of oxygen and nitrogen in planet's atmosphere.
The solar maximum period is likely to be earlier than first thought (PA)NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Centre has said early predictions of the solar maximum taking place in 2025 are wrong, and that it's actually going to run from January 2024 to the autumn. That means that anyone who has ever wanted to see the northern lights has their best chance to do so now.
'My kids and I take my husband's ashes everywhere we go'
Although the far-out weather event does occasionally make it as far south as the Midlands and even a little beyond, you have little chance of witnessing the famed colours of the aurora with the naked eye anywhere below of Scotland.
Here are some of the cheapest ways for Brits to see the natural phenomenon..
Scotland
The top of Scotland is one of the UK's best places for seeing the Northern Lights. The Highland regions of Sutherland and Caithness are prime areas for spotting them between September and March each year, as are the Shetland Islands and northern Hebrides.
Flying up from airports in England to Aberdeen or Inverness is often cheap and quick, although much worse for the environment than taking the train or driving with a full car. The latter may be the easiest way to get up to the norther climes of the mainland where public transport is a little patchy.
Iceland is a great place to see the aurora borealis (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)If you can brave the cold, Scotland has much more liberal land laws than the rest of the UK, so finding a camping spot to pitch up in and spend the evening looking up to the heavens shouldn't be too tricky.
It is difficult to quantify how regularly Scotland is treated to a display of the aurora borealis or is likely to during the solar maximum, but those living in the most northerly parts can expect to see low level displays on most clear nights in the deep winter, and a couple of full blown, spectacular ones a season.
There are plenty of youth hostels all over Scotland that can be stayed in for a very reasonable price if you don't fancy braving the cold.
Sweden
While both the northern parts of Sweden and Norway are lucky enough to be regularly dazzled by the aurora, the current weak state of the krona compared to the pound - as well as the general cheapness of the former compared to the latter - makes the home of ABBA the best Scandinavian country to visit for a bargain northern lights trip.
Flying from London Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted, or Manchester and Edinburgh, to Stockholm and then either driving or taking the train north does not have to be ruinously expensive. Return flights to the Swedish capital are often on sale during February and March for £30 or even a little less with Ryanair.
Stockholm is rarely dazzled by the aurora, so you'll have to venture north into the dark of the countryside at least a few hundred kilometres. Thanks to the allemansratt law which allows free camping essentially anywhere so long as it's not in someone's garden, finding somewhere to stay away from the light of the city is easy enough.
Seeing Northern Lights tops 'wish list' of travel experiences for 2023
To almost guarantee a spotting, taking the 14 hour train from Stockholm to Kiruna 300km above the Artic Circle can be done for around £60. The city is dazzled by regular displays that light up the intense darkness of the remote settlement's long nights.
Iceland
Iceland is not a cheap place to visit in terms of accommodation, food or alcohol, but the flights aren't always bank breaking and it's a great place to see the aurora.
There is currently a £49 return trip from Bristol Airport to Reykjavik with easyJet for February next year, which should be an ideal time to spot the Northern Lights. Iceland is big, sparsely populated and has a famous road - Route One - which runs around its edge, making getting away from polluting light sources into the inky black a relatively easy task.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
