Northern Lights could be seen in the UK tonight

There are a whole bunch of cosmic phenomenons happening this month but, arguably, one of the most exciting should be visible in the skies this evening (12 August).

Star-gazers all over are in for a proper treat as the Northern Lights - also known as aurora borealis - will be lighting up parts of the UK putting on an impressive spectacle for a lucky few to see.

What are the Northern Lights?

The Met Office explains that Northern Lights, which usually only emerge within the Arctic circle, occur as 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'.

Without boring you with all the science, this all causes a beautiful multi-coloured burst with a green glow being associated with oxygen while hues of purple, blue and pink are caused by nitrogen.

The Northern Lights will be visible in the UK tonight (12 August). (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

Where can you see the Northern Lights?

Now, predominantly, the stunning spectacle is best witnessed in Scotland, North England, North Wales and Northern Ireland.

However, under severe space weather conditions, the lights can be seen throughout the UK with the naked eye.

The best places to see the Northern Lights in the UK as the phenomenon becomes visible across Britain this evening without having to trek all the way up to the Arctic includes; the Shetland Islands, North Yorkshire, Conwy, Norfolk, County Antrim and Cumbria.

In short, the conditions in the sky need to be as clear and as cloud-free as possible.

The Northern Lights are best witnessed in Scotland, North England, North Wales and Northern Ireland. (Ahmet Fevzi Arican/Anadolu via Getty Images)

What time will the Northern Lights be visible?

Weather conditions are expected to be pretty ideal this evening but it'll need to be super dark to be able to catch the phenomenon - given that you're in a prime location.

You'll need to wait until around at least 11.30pm with the Met Office spacewatch service stating: "Ongoing coronal mass ejection (CME) influence persisting into the 12th.

"This resulting in minor to moderate geomagnetic storm periods and aurora may be visible at times across parts of Scotland, as well as possibly northern England and northern Ireland where skies are clear through the early hours."

The Met Office added: "Another enhancement is possible for similar areas into the early hours of the 13th with further CME impacts possible before aurora activity likely returning to background levels."

The Northern Lights can be captured with a good quality camera. (Ruicheng Yao / Getty Images)

How to best capture the Northern Lights

A spokesperson from the Met Office has shared that, even if the aurora borealis isn't visible in your area to the naked eye, you may be able to capture it with a decent camera on your phone.

"Cameras help as the long exposure allows loads of light in and enhances the colours more than the human eye can see," they said.

"That is why you see pictures as far south as Cornwall sometimes though you’re unlikely to see it with the naked eye that far south."

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