Thanks to a geomagnetic storm currently taking place in our skies, the Northern Lights are currently more visible than ever. Move over Tromsø and Reykjavik, the UK’s Durham and Essex are now Europe’s best beauty spots!
However, as the nation scrambles to grab their mobiles and take snaps of the night sky, several people have run into obstacles when searching for those elusive green lines.
The two men were clearly over the moon by the discovery and could be heard laughing excitedly as they walked towards the glowing sky.
However the men’s dreams were soon dashed when they realised the source of the light was actually coming from a nearby Premier Inn.
“We’ve been catfished. I thought it was the Northern Lights,” one of the men could be heard saying in the clip as they approached the hotel in all of its glowing purple glory.
“Thought it was the Northern Lights, turns out it’s a f**king building.”
Despite the two men’s misery, viewers were clearly amused by the situation, with one person writing: “The sheer excitement and not being able to speak at first, to the utter disappointment.”
“This is the most British thing,” a second person wrote, while a third person joked: “Man premier inn think they’re summoning Batman.”
Even the Premier Inn themselves couldn’t resist on joining in on the fun, adding: “We be glowing,” alongside a series of emojis.
The video has since gone viral across social media, with Akhtar later revealing to the BBC that he ‘didn’t expect it [the video] to be so popular’.
“The reaction to the video has been crazy,” the University of East Anglia student said.
“For sure we thought it was the Northern Lights… you can tell by my reaction. It’s certainly a good start to my TikTok career.”
The two men were devastated to discover they’d been catfished by a Premier Inn (TikTok/@paakkz)
Akhtar went on to add that he’s not given up hope on seeing the Northern Lights in person one day, after previously being disappointed during a trip to Iceland back in January.
However, with the lights making several appearances in the night sky across the following months, we can only hope the two men have since been lucky.
Responding to the video, a spokesperson has since said: “There’s no need to search the skies, Premier Inn is a beacon of light and can bring the Aurora glow directly to your room, without needing a camera to see it.
“Rest easy under the enchanting purple glow of our light up headboards, knowing that you can experience this wonder every night of the year from the luxury of one of our comfy beds.”
Last night (10 October) they could be seen as far south as Kent, helped in no small part by the forecast of clear skies for a lot of the UK meaning there was good visibility to spot them.
Of course if you missed it then you might be wondering when your next chance is coming, and it may not be long before you can have another go.
Once again it’ll depend of where you are in the UK and you’ll need luck to be on your side.
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Last night (10 October) was a great chance to view the lights (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Speaking ahead of last night’s dazzling display, Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said: “The further north you are, the more likely you are to get good visibility.”
It’s pretty much the case whenever the Northern Lights are going to be visible in some part of the UK, otherwise the lights wouldn’t be very northern.
For those hoping for a weekend watch-along, Dixon had also said that while the strongest showing would be Thursday night there could be some other chances to spot the lights over the next couple of days.
However, according to PA he said these ‘residual viewings’ were more than likely going to be seen in Scotland and not the rest of the UK.
Naturally the usual advice for spotting the Northern Lights applies, which is to get yourself away from sources of light pollution and be looking at a clear night sky while facing northwards.
Lots of people trekked out for a good look, but there might be a second chance for some Brits at the weekend (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Given that you’ll be out at night it’s best to wrap up warm and bring some hot form of sustenance which will help keep the chill of the night at bay.
According to the Met Office, the Northern Lights are most active during the equinox and solstice, meaning that the months of March, April, September and October are your best chance for a viewing.
If they won’t come to you then you might be inclined to go and seek them out by travelling abroad, though it’s meant to bring bad luck to try and hunt down the Northern Lights.
We promise we’re not pulling your leg, but apparently for the hundredth time this year, the Northern Lights are set to return to UK skies this weekend.
Brits have been told to brace themselves for a stunning display up above more often than we would care to admit so far this year – and on a few occasions, some lucky buggers really did get to see them.
It’s no wonder that the news that the natural phenomenon could put on a show once again is wearing a bit thin at this point – but imagine how livid you will be if you miss them, eh?
Forget the boy who cried wolf, as you will probably have us down as the lads who cried the Northern Lights.
Don’t shoot the messenger, though, as we are merely just passing on some information from the Met Office, which has issued some advice about how you can hopefully get a glimpse at the aurora borealis this weekend.
And seen as though they usually only coming out to play within the Arctic circle, it’s worth saving yourself a few quid on a pricey holiday in favour of copping them in your own back garden instead.
For those who don’t know, the Northern Lights are a result of a ‘coronal mass ejection’ (CME), which the Met Office explains is the large expulsion of plasma from the sun’s corona.
When these particles hit our atmosphere, they create the stunning aurora.
And we’ve got a huge ‘solar flare’ to thank for sending the Northern Lights our way this time around.
The CME has been hurtling at Earth at hundreds of miles a second, and when they impact our planet’s magnetosphere – which is the space around our planet that is taken up by its magnetic field – then geomagnetic storms take place.
The Northern Lights might make another appearance in the UK this weekend (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
These cause aurora displays such as the Northern Lights, while disturbances to satellite communications and power grids being damaged are also a possibility, so it’s swings and roundabouts, really.
According to the Met, we could be in for a period of geomagnetic activity within a matter of hours tonight (4 October).
Meteorologists reckon that being in a spot where skies are clear in either Scotland, Northern Ireland or northern England will give you the best chance of catching the Northern Lights.
Space Weather Manager Krista Hammond explained that they are expected to be most visible on Saturday (5 October) night, the Mirror reports.
“There is the potential for a coronal mass ejection to arrive at Earth late on Friday or early on Saturday, which could lead to visible aurora for Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England,” the boffin said.
“In addition, we recently observed an X9 solar flare – the largest of this solar cycle so far.
Saturday night is supposed to be the best time to see them (Getty Stock Image)
She continued: “The accompanying coronal mass ejection is likely to arrive at Earth overnight on Saturday into Sunday, meaning that enhanced auroral visibility is possible further south across central England and similar latitudes, though cloud and rain could hamper viewing potential for some.”
Discussing the odds of actually seeing the Northern Lights, Hammond added: “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.
“Enhancement to the aurora may persist at higher latitudes throughout the remainder of the outlook period.”
The update comes from research published by AuroraWatch UK, an app which tracks the likelihood of seeing the aurora borealis across the country, with a red alert issued for certain areas of the country.
The update follows previous guidance from the Met Office, which stated that we may have a chance of seeing the lights tonight (October 7) and into the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The lights have been visible in UK skies several times this year (Getty Stock Images)
However your chances of actually seeing the lights will vary greatly, depending on the location you’re in.
“There is a slight chance of seeing aurora across the north of Scotland during Monday night and into Tuesday morning, depending on cloud cover,” Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop explained to The Sun.
“From tomorrow onwards, we expect to see a gradual reduction in the chances of aurora, with any activity likely to remain confined to northern Scotland if at all.”
If you’re hoping to try and catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, AuroraWatch also has the probability of sightings laid out in a very helpful map form, which can be viewed here.
Unsurprisingly, the best chance of seeing the lights is confined to northern Scotland and the Shetland Islands.
However it’s not all bad news for the rest of the country, as the website reports sightings as far south as Lancaster. Your chances are also completely dependent on weather conditions, with clouds and rain being obvious obstructions to the night sky.
What is the best way to see the Northern Lights?
Should you ever find yourself north enough to have a high possibility of catching the Northern Lights you’ll want to grab your phone before heading out. (Assuming you’re not sick to death of hearing about them)
Who needs the Arctic when we have Scotland (Getty Stock Images)
Cameras with long exposure are going to be your best bet in this scenario, as they can capture colours not visible to the human eye.
“Cameras help as the long exposure allows loads of light in and enhances the colours more than the human eye can see,” a spokesperson for the Met Office explained.
“That is why you see pictures as far south as Cornwall sometimes though you’re unlikely to see it with the naked eye that far south.”
Earlier this year, the Northern Lights – or Aurora Borealis if we’re being scientific – decided to migrate south and light up our skies. The following few days saw the nation divided into two camps, those who had seen the Northern Lights and those who wasted no time in telling everyone and anyone that seeing the Northern Lights was overrated.
But if you’ve been unlucky in your Aurora spotting so far don’t you worry! The Met Office has announced that another explosion of geomagnetic activity is happening in our skies, with tonight (5 October) being our best chance at seeing those dancing green lines.
Explaining why Saturday would have the strongest possibility of seeing the Northern Lights, she continued: “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.
Don’t be expecting to see this from your back garden (Getty Stock Images)
“Enhancement to the aurora may persist at higher latitudes throughout the remainder of the outlook period.”
What is the best way to watch the Northern Lights?
So you’re probably wondering what do I need to do in order to catch the Northern Lights? Turns out there’s quite a few things.
First of all you’ll need a clear night sky as you’re not going to be able to see the lights through the clouds, so make sure to check the weather before heading out into your back garden at 2am.
If you’re lucky enough to have a clear sky, the next thing you need to do is whip out your phone.
You may already be aware of this but the Northern Lights often looks a lot more impressive in photos than it does to the naked eye (talk about catfishing, nature edition), so a camera with a long exposure setting is a must have.
“Cameras help as the long exposure allows loads of light in and enhances the colours more than the human eye can see,” a spokesperson for the Met Office explained.
This is more accurate image of what you could see (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
“That is why you see pictures as far south as Cornwall sometimes though you’re unlikely to see it with the naked eye that far south.”
