Northern Lights to be visible over Ireland

The Northern Lights are expected to be visible over Ireland in the coming weeks.

The solar phenomenon, otherwise known as the Aurora Borealis, has its best chance of being seen in more than a decade because of a peak in the sun’s activity.

The spectacle is normally confined to appear over landmasses with higher latitudes, such as Greenland and Canada. However, due to the 11-year solar cycle, which is believed to peak in the coming year, the opportunites for sightings in Ireland from now until the equinox in March are going to be at their highest in over 10 years.

Brendan Alexander, an astronomer in Co Donegal, suggests that to improve the chance of seeing the lights, sky-gazers should venture further north and away from city light-pollution. “It’s an event that, especially on these shores, is so rare. But we are lucky to live just north enough to experience it. Any country further south than us won’t be able to see it,” he said.

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