Northern Lights Weather Query

[Tommohawk]

Hi all. Just planned a 12 day trip to Norway for November - so I'm properly in Northern Lights mode!

And with all the recent geomagnetic activity I'm seeing on my app, I was just musing re the prospect of seeing the NL from the UK. Regarding cloud cover, just how much clear sky to the North is required? For example, will cloud over Scotland impact the view from, say, the South of England? (I appreciate London light pollution will likely kill any chance of viewing from the South East)

Royal Museums Greenwich says lower part of aurora typically around 80 miles above Earths surface but top may extend several thousand miles. Which  implies that distant cloud may not obscure the view. I cant do the maths and my little sketch isnt helpful. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

 

[FenlandPaul]

45 minutes ago, Tommohawk said:

Hi all. Just planned a 12 day trip to Norway for November - so I'm properly in Northern Lights mode!

And with all the recent geomagnetic activity I'm seeing on my app, I was just musing re the prospect of seeing the NL from the UK. Regarding cloud cover, just how much clear sky to the North is required? For example, will cloud over Scotland impact the view from, say, the South of England? (I appreciate London light pollution will likely kill any chance of viewing from the South East)

Royal Museums Greenwich says lower part of aurora typically around 80 miles above Earths surface but top may extend several thousand miles. Which  implies that distant cloud may not obscure the view. I cant do the maths and my little sketch isnt helpful. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

 

Exciting-sounding trip!!

It’s unlikely that cloud over the horizon will impede your view. If it’s kicking off, the it’ll be a lot higher than any tropospheric cloud so if you’re clear reasonably locally you stand a good chance of catching it, if the auroral oval is sufficiently far south.

In the biggest displays of the last 12 months, it’s regularly been seen / photographed from Kent so London isn’t necessarily an issue for you. You’ll have seen that it’s now becoming quite common for people to pick it up on camera in Norfolk, with relatively dark skies over the North Sea - remarkable really!!

[callump]

There have been many occasions recently when we were clouded out in the north of Scotland, when a strong aurora has been seen in the north of england and further south.  Although the height is a couple of hundred miles or so, when there is a very strong aurora, whole auroral oval expands southwards. So whilst people in the south might just see rays peeking above the horizon, those in he north will see the display overhead, or even reaching the southern horizon.

Callum

[Tommohawk]

Hi Callum, thats useful info and makes perfect sense. I realised the aurora can be very high, but forgot that the source isnt always absolute north. The idea of seeing the NL to the south still seems a bit odd though!