Northern Lights

briwy · Post by **briwy** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:16 am

Any of you lot up there been seeing the NL?
My daughter is living in Anstruther at the moment and tells me they were seeing them from uni at St Andrews the other night.
We're wanting to see them and have been looking at Norway or Iceland but a Bongo trip up to Scotland would be better.
With a bit of luck we could fit it in with a meet at Red Squirell.
Any thoughts please.

Driver+Passengers · Post by **Driver+Passengers** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 11:41 am

Haven't seen them here. My window faces north with a near panorama of the horizon and yet...

I agree with you, a Bongo trip up to Scotland would be better than going to Norway(!) or Iceland(!).

You probably wouldn't see them from the 'Squirrel due to the surrounding hills, but plenty of coastline to hunt out the clear skies.

Hope you get to see them, though. Good luck. What's the NL-forecast?

Matt.

briwy · Post by **briwy** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 12:13 pm

Hi Matt.

Winter 2012/13 is the best for 10 years apparently. All depends on sunspot activity it seems which goes approx 10 year cycle.

Only problem with Scotland is the weather of course, getting a clear night. This also applies to Iceland to a lesser extent, it's the Gulf Stream bringing warm and wet stuff in. That's why Norway is reckoned to be better as its away from the Gulf Stream.

MountainGoat · Post by **MountainGoat** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 2:28 pm

Missed them too as I was not in the know at the time. The Scottish television news the following day showed a photograph of the lights take by a chap in Melrose just 4 miles from my house. Bummer !!!!!!

Tony

briwy · Post by **briwy** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 4:44 pm

MountainGoat wrote:Missed them too as I was not in the know at the time. The Scottish television news the following day showed a photograph of the lights take by a chap in Melrose just 4 miles from my house. Bummer !!!!!!

Tony

Keep looking Tony.
They have been seen in Yorkshire and from the Isle of Man as well, not as spectacular as the far north though of course.

Bongopoet · Post by **Bongopoet** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:06 pm

Try this website as a guide to when they will be visible. It is not a long forecast but TBH we have seen them most spectacularly in the north of Scotland.

http://helios.swpc.noaa.gov/ovation/

karena · Post by **karena** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:43 pm

auroa watch uk have an alert system they post to your facebook page again not long range.

Grannie Annie · Post by **Grannie Annie** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:57 pm

Shetland, I reckon. We had a holiday up there in June so we could be on the most northerly point of the British Isles on the longest day of the year. The sun came up about 2 hours after it went down - useless for seeing the Northern Lights but they were magnificent and plentiful in January, February & March. Apparently 2013 is going to be even more amazing. Up Helly Aa is a sight worth seeing, too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_Helly_Aa

peterrc · Post by **peterrc** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:34 pm

Just had a look out of the window and I can only just see the 'Street Lights'.

Grannie Annie · Post by **Grannie Annie** » Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:16 pm

I've had it on good authority that they're visible over Eshaness RIGHT NOW !!

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