Did you know that the best times to see the Northern Lights in the UK are September/October and March/April? During the Equinox you can maximise your chance of seeing the Northern Lights by visiting Scotland,Northern Ireland, North England and North Wales. If seeing the Northern Lights is high on your “to do” list there are certain locations and atmospheric conditions.
Seeing The Northern Lights in the UK
It is possible to see them during the entire UK in certain condtions. The Met Office has some great information on their website which may help if seeing them is one of the things you would love to do. With a motorhome you are flexible to visit different locations, stargazing or heading to the best spots from which to see the Northern Lights. Contact us to find out about availability for motorhome stargazing holidays.
What Are The Northern Lights?
The Northern Lights are a consequence of solar activity and result from collisions of charged particles in the solar wind colliding with molecules in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
When Will You See Them?
Under certain weather conditions you may see the Northern Lights. Search your local weather forecast here and keep an eye out on met weather forecasts as they often provide information about the best times to see them. The best conditions are dry and clear…with dark skies. There are several Dark Sky National Parks situated across the UK. Each will provide great stargazing, given the right condtions.
Dark Sky Discovery Sites
There are also many Dark Sky Discovery Sites located across the UK and in the right conditions you can see the Milky Way. From a motorhome you may be lucky enough to see the milky way from the comfort of your motorhome, one of our customers did just that in December, whilst parked outside The Tan Hill Inn.
Stargazing
From a designated dark sky discovery site you can see the night sky in uninterrupted glory…and from the comfort of your motorhome, what could be better? Sites can be designated into:
- Orion Sites with the seven main stars in the winter constellation Orion visible to the naked eye
- Milky Way Sites are much darker sites, located in the most rural areas and providing the chance to see the Milky Way with the naked eye.
If you have ever wanted to see the Orion and the Milky Way the best times of the year are during the Autumn and Winter looking north when there is no cloud.