Northern Lights Ireland tonight: what time, where to see them and the best camera settings
The ethereal array was captured vividly as far north as Donegal and there were numerous sightings in skies above Dublin; Galway; Kildare; Louth; Wexford and Laois
Stargazers the length and breadth of Ireland were treated to a heavenly display of the Northern Lights on Thursday evening and early Friday morning - but will the elusive and rare aurora borealis return tonight?
The skies over Ireland were filled striking blues and greens on Thursday and hundreds of people, some as far south as Cork, shared stunning photos of the dazzling display on social media.
The Northern Lights or aurora borealis occur when energised particles from the sun hit Earth’s atmosphere and are redirected toward the planet’s poles. The process creates a green and purple light show that fascinates scientists and stargazers.
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Excited sky-lookers shared hundreds of images on Thursday and Friday. The ethereal array was captured vividly as far north as Donegal and there were numerous sightings in skies above Dublin; Galway; Kildare; Louth; Wexford and Laois.
But will we see them again tonight?
What causes the Northern Lights?
According to Met Eireann: "The Northern Lights (or ‘aurora borealis’ in the northern hemisphere) are the results of collisions between gas particles in our atmosphere and charged particles ejected from the Sun’s atmosphere.
"The colour of the Northern Lights will change due to the type of gas particles that are colliding. Oxygen molecules at approximately 100km above the earth produce a greenish-yellow colour while, while a red aurora can be seen when high level oxygen molecules are involved. Blue or purple auroras indicate the presence of nitrogen molecules."
What are the best weather conditions for seeing the Northern Lights?
Weather experts at Met Eireann emphasise that stargazers are most likely to enjoy a sight of the Northern Lights when the skies are clear and free of cloud cover.
"The Northern Lights are best observed in locations with very small amounts of light pollution. Parts of the west and north coast would offer the greatest chance of seeing the display," say Met Eireann.
What are the best camera settings for photographing the Northern Lights?
If all you have is a smartphone, the experts at Visit Norway (where there are frequent displays of the Northern Lights) recommend you download a good photography app that allows you to change the settings of your phone's camera function.
You should also avoid using a flash, make sure you are in a dark place away from street lights and it's also recommended you use a tripod or object to steady your phone.
In order to capture the Northern Lights you should make sure you use a timer to delay the shot - that way you avoid disturbing the phone.
If you are using a compact camera or SLR, it's advised you start off with aperture f/2.8, ISO 1600 (increase if it's very dark) and a 15 second shutter speed.
Will the Northern Lights be visible over Ireland tonight?
The good news is that there is a chance the Northern Lights will reappear above Ireland on Friday night but the bad news is that they may not be as vivid.
It's expected that the best time to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights on Friday will be from 8pm onwards.
A spokesperson for Met Eireann told The Irish Mirror: "The chances of seeing the Northern Lights tonight (Friday) in Ireland will be greatly reduced, due to the lower level of intensity of the geomagnetic activity and the increased cloud cover, compared to last night.
"The strength of the activity measured up to 8 on the KP Index (the global aurora activity indicator) for Thursday night, with a clear sky, whereas tonight’s activity is set to reach up to 5 on the scale, and with more cloud covering impacting potential visibility."
Aurora Alerts Ireland said: "Well what a night that was with the CME arriving at a perfect time just before it got dark. G4 close to G5 storm conditions was observed last night and it was brilliant to see clear skies across Ireland.
"Aurora Alerts Ireland has received over 6000 photos & messages and it's impossible to get through them all.
"This morning G3 to G4 storm conditions continues over in the USA with this been the second strongest solar storm in the last 25 years."
They added: "There is a chance of further periods of G1 to G3 storming possible again tonight [Friday] with another aurora possible as we move through the CME stream.
"The Aurora will not be as strong as last night and this morning but should be visible to the north again."
The Met Eireann forecast for Friday evening is for clear skies in Leinster and Munster with rain and cloud cover drifting north towards midnight.
"Tonight [Friday] will be dry in many areas with clear spells in Leinster and Munster," said Met Eireann. "Rain will develop In the northwest by midnight and will extend over much of Connacht and Ulster overnight, heavy in places.
"Lowest temperatures of one to five in south and east and from six to nine degrees elsewhere with light to moderate southwest winds, fresher near northwestern coasts."
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