UKC

Hello

Apologies if there's an active topic of Aurora/Northern Lights stalking already. I saw this impressive video of last year's marvelous display:

youtube.com/watch?v=fVsONlc3OUY&

As I'll be around in the Highlands during the last 10 days of this February, I really hope to catch some of this!

Could locals kindly keep us updated if they see some action and where..., please?

I hear the best display is usually on the far east coast of the Highlands (Caithness) - is that true?

In reply to Karakormian:
get this on your phone http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/

also keep an eye on this http://www.aurora-service.eu/aurora-forecast/

The chance of there being one and it being clear enough to see it are minimal. I've lived on and off in Scotland for about 6 years and never seen one. This year I've driven out to try and view one a few times and seen nought.

The further north the better your odds of their being activity (but it may be behind cloud and non visible). The weather on the east coast of the NW is clearer than the west so perhaps more likely to see one there than the west ( http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/ ). The Moray Firth is a good spot as its quite far north and blessed with better weather

In reply to Karakormian:

http://spaceweather.com/

In reply to Karakormian:

Thanks everyone. This reply is from the owner of above video: "The last 10 days of February there will be bright Moon on the sky which is not ideal for aurora spotting as bright glare of the Moon will drown any fainter aurora. During bright Moon periods only brighter auroras can be seen, but brighter auroras should be also visible from the Scottish Highlands".

In reply to Karakormian:
I think I've seen a very very faint aurora it was a non event. An aurora that is so faint that the moon drains it out completely will barely be worth seeing (with no moon) , more of a ticked box than amazing experience IMO. A half descent one can even been seen during sunset and close to the sun, and was done late last year down in Newcastle, can't find the pics now.

https://www.theaurorazone.com/about-the-aurora/the-science-of-the-northern-...

Some people get excited about being able to picture one you can't see with the naked eye, I'd rather look at other real pictures on the internet that people took of really good Auroras.... Anyway.