Aurora visibility information

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BSL Version
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• The main difference between Iceland and the UK for seeing the Aurora is the countries different geographical locations on our planet, also the moon plays a big part in our ability to view Aurora and can prevent the UK seeing an Aurora show unlike Iceland where the moon only affects colour strength.
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• Even weak Auroras in Iceland can beat the moon because Iceland sits directly beneath the Aurora Oval, whereas the UK is viewing it from a long way south of the Oval which is why the Aurora almost always shows as an arc on the low horizon from the UK but in Iceland because you are beneath it you are literally looking up at it from underneath and the waves and shapes are much more visible.
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• Iceland sees the red colours less often than the UK does because of being situated directly beneath the oval, that said the reds do sometimes make a dramatic appearance but mostly the Aurora in Iceland is almost always only green unless it gets very powerful then pinks and whites, yellows, orange, reds , purples and even rare blues can be seen.
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• The UK generally sees the reds first and specially when in England, but Scotland often sees a green arc with a red arc above it, also England and wales can see the red and green arc too if the Aurora develops strong enough.
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• The reason England tends to see the reds more often than the greens (pink diffuse) is due to the curvature of the Earth causing the much lower level green arc to be out of sight for folk viewing it from more southern locations…. so we are only able to see the top of the Aurora (the reds) unless the Aurora gets stronger and rises higher in the sky to then reveal the green arc part to more southern locations.
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• The more north you travel the more Aurora you are able to see as you move closer towards the Arctic and the Aurora Oval.
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• Here are some examples: two app shots showing how everyone in Iceland easily saw a show last night but nobody in the UK saw a thing (green ticks in Iceland and red crosses in the UK)
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• The more north you travel the more Aurora you are able to see as you move closer towards the Arctic and the Aurora Oval
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• Dont get me wrong here as Yorkshire , Southern England and Wales can also see fantastic displays when its a strong show but these are images are merely to demonstrate what you can expect to see on a weak to average night….
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• Now compared to 3rd photo of what can get seen in Iceland when it gets strong, all the colours of the rainbow can be seen on camera on a strong show in Iceland
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• By eye the Aurora is almost always a whitish tone in the UK, in Iceland it is the same whitish tone unless it gets strong then some weak colour can be seen by eye or strong white arcs or streaks can be seen (example pic 6 and pic 7)
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• What causes the northern lights?
  …–…The northern lights are caused by charged particles from the Sun.
  …–…These particles travel from the Sun through space ~ some of them reach us here on Earth.
  …–…Our planet’s magnetic field deflects most of these solar particles back into space.
  …–…However, some are caught by the magnetic field and driven towards the North and South Poles.
  …–…Here, they collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere.
  …–…The energy created by this collision is released as colourful light, which appears to dance across the sky.
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• What colours are in the aurora borealis?
  …–…Green is the most common colour to see in the aurora borealis.
  …–…But you can also sometimes see shades of red, pink, blue, purple, yellow and white.
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• Are the southern lights the same colour as the northern lights?
  …–…Yes.
  …–…The southern lights are caused by the same solar activity as the northern lights.
  …–…So in areas close to the South Pole, you’ll find exactly the same colours and patterns.
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• What is the rarest aurora colour?
  …–…Blue, purple and pink are some of the rarest aurora colours.
  …–…You only tend to see these colours in the northern lights when there’s a particularly strong display.
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• What causes the different patterns of the aurora?
  …–…The aurora borealis often appears as a curtain of lights.
  …–…But it can also present as arcs or spirals, often following lines of force in the Earth’s magnetic field.
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• Can you see aurora colours with the naked eye?
  …–…Yes ~ all northern lights colours are visible to the naked eye if the aurora display is intense enough.
  …–…Green and red are the easiest colours to see.
  …–…But you may pick up more colours with the help of your camera.
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• Is human eyesight poor in low‑light conditions?
  …–…Yes.
  …–…That’s because human eyesight isn’t great in low-light conditions ~ when it’s dark, we tend to see in shades of white, grey and black.
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• Are camera colour sensors better than our eyes?
  …–…Yes ~ a camera’s colour sensors work better than our eyes in the dark.
  …–…This, along with the option to create long exposure shots, means the camera can sometimes see and capture a greater range of aurora colours than the naked eye.
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