More Northern Lights Expected As Fiery Sunspot Rotates Back Towards Earth

Stargazers who were able to catch the aurora borealis last weekend due to the fiery solar storms will be able to watch many more such spectacles in the coming weeks.

Reports by the BBC and Daily Mail said that the huge sunspot cluster that hurled energy and gas towards Earth will rotate back towards Earth in two weeks.

“The sunspot region will be coming back round onto the Earth facing side of the sun,” Met Office space weather expert Krista Hammond told the Daily Mail.

Scientists told the UK-based broadcaster that it will probably be large and complex enough to generate more explosions which could strike the Earth’s magnetic field and create more Northern Lights.

The extent of the previous solar storm was such that aurora borealis aka Northern Lights were not just visible in just extreme northern parts of the northern hemisphere but also in its more southern parts like Germany and southern states of the US like Ohio and even in the province of Tasmania in Australia.

The Sun since the past week has pumped out increased radiation and a mega solar flare on Tuesday disrupted high-frequency radio communications across the planet.

More fiery sunspots are also on the way as the Sun approaches “solar maximum” – a point during an 11-year cycle when its activity is strongest. The Sun’s magnetic field goes through a cycle known as the solar cycle. By the end of a solar cycle, the Sun’s magnetic field completely flips which means that the Sun’s north and south poles switch places. It takes about another 11 years for the Sun’s north and south poles to flip back again.

The UK Met office said that the Northern Lights are due to be visible in the UK again and could be seen on Saturday night. Night skies across the UK lit up due to the rare solar storm.

“Some enhancement to the aurora is likely into early 18 May following the arrival of a CME through the afternoon of the 17 May. The aurora may become visible perhaps very briefly for parts of northern Scotland where skies are clear before sunrise,” the Met office said.