Stargazers 'might be lucky enough' to glimpse Northern Lights in Ireland 

The Northern Lights are more commonly seen within the Arctic Circle, but the aurora borealis could be visible in parts of Scotland, the US and Australia on Monday.

Stargazers may be in with a chance of glimpsing the Northern Lights in Ireland on Monday night, but the phenomenon is more likely to be seen in the UK.

This week, solar eruptions are sending a stream of particles towards Earth, creating spectacular auroras in both hemispheres.

The Northern Lights are more commonly seen within the Arctic Circle, but the aurora borealis could be visible in parts of Scotland, the US and Australia on Monday.

However, according to Cork’s Blackrock Castle Observatory manager Alan Giltinan we “might be lucky enough” to catch a glimpse here in Ireland.

“Based upon the latest data, the solar storm appears to be weakening slightly, so the likelihood of observing the Northern Lights from Ireland on this occasion is down.

“However, like any storm, one might get an occasional momentary increase in strength, so if you get the opportunity to look up, then do,” he said.

Mr Giltinan said a telescope would not be necessary to see the spectacle if it appears, it will be visible to the naked eye or with a camera, but we will need a clear night.

If the Northern Lights do put on a show, Mr Giltinan said the best place for viewing it will be “as far north as possible” and “just after the sun sets”.   

“To view them, look in a northerly direction. Parts of Donegal and Connacht might get a look.

“Further south is unlikely on this occasion, but it is worth keeping an eye,” he said.

According to Mr Giltinan, the Northern Lights occur when a solar wind, which has a lot of charged particles, interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field.

“As the particles interact with gases in our upper atmosphere, it results in light being emitted. The colour of the light gives us an indication of the interacting gases.

“Typically, a green/reddish hue signifies oxygen, and blue/purple is nitrogen. Other colours can mean a mix of those gases,” he explained.

Astronomy Ireland founder David Moore also said “there is a chance” of the aurora appearing in Irish skies tonight.

Mr Moore had predicted a “big display” at dusk on Sunday but said “the whole island was too cloudy” amid a Met Éireann rain warning.

“Unfortunately, no one reported seeing anything but clouds, but there is a chance of the aurora continuing tonight,” he said.

In other celestial events, there will be a partial solar eclipse on April 8, and on September 18, a penumbral eclipse will occur.

A penumbral lunar eclipse is when the moon is partially eclipsed by Earth, in effect the moon can only see a portion of the sun, not all of it.