Northern Lights visible in Devon skies this weekend
The Northern Lights are expected to be visible from Dartmoor tonight, according to forecasters. The South West is preparing for a variety of weather events this weekend, but the highlight could well be the spectacular display of the aurora borealis over parts of Dartmoor on Friday, May 10, and possibly Saturday, May 11.
Experts believe the conditions are looking “very good” to spot the rare sight in the South West. Sam Whitfield, from UK Weather Chase, suggests that the best spots to see the Northern Lights on Dartmoor would be higher ground with minimal light pollution. He recommends places like Haytor and Coombstone Tor car park.
He said: “Right now conditions are looking favourable. We are hoping this solar snot will hit earth directly following some big solar activity over the last few days. It’s definitely exciting if things do go the way we hope!”
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While it’s rare to see the Northern Lights in the UK, especially as far south as Devon, they have already been spotted over Dartmoor several times this year. In April, a beautiful pink glow was seen near Yelverton and Princetown, and just days later, white columns of light were seen in the South Hams, reports Plymouth Live.
Local expert Sam has stated that the white pillars and pinkish tints are more common in our area than the vibrant green flashes seen further north. He said: “I must stress don’t expect to see a green glow like you see in pictures dancing above your head. You may catch what looks like white pillars in the distance or maybe a pinkish tint.”
For those hoping to capture this celestial spectacle over Devon this weekend, Sam recommends using the night mode on your phone camera and ensuring it’s fully charged.
“To prevent phone from shaking which taking a long exposure picture, a tripod would be great but if you don’t have one, try resting the phone on a rock nearby or roof of car,” he advised.
“Try using a pillow to hold phone up which has worked for me in the past. Most android have night mode for taking long exposures but those using an iPhone, ensure you phone camera is in photo mode. Hold the phone still and you’ll notice top left a yellow icon with a digit will appear next to the flash icon. Click on that and put it to max.”
This comes ahead of a thunderstorm warning issued by the Met Office for parts of Devon. The warning is in place from 12pm to 10pm on Sunday, May 12.
While only the eastern part of Devon is included in the alert, Sam believes there may be more excitement on the horizon. “We are currently keeping a very close eye on the models which may result in us issuing a thunderstorm watch for Sunday,” he added.